The Maid
by Ruu-chan
Summary: **2013 UPDATE: CHAPTERS 14 & 15 ARE UP!** The Higurashi family has lost their shrine and are desperate for money to get it back. Now it's up to Kagome to move to Suburbia Kyoto, and work as a housemaid for the rich taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru Takahashi. Will love bloom along the way? PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY! :)
1. Chapter 1: False Advertisements

She could remember seeing the face her mother glued on as she ripped out an advertisement from one of the light posts from the street. She could see her reading the paper, and staring dreamingly towards her freaked-out offspring.  
  
"Kagome! I got a splendid idea! Hurry!" Her mother was too excited to even walk like normal people would; she was literally power jogging with grocery bags around her arms.  
  
"Could you maybe slow down a little, mama? You do know that I'm carrying grocery bags, right?"  
  
"No time for that, dear! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Her mother smiled as she climbed up the steps up to the shrine. Kagome pouted and sighed mentally.  
  
"Why is it that mama always had these perky mood swings all of a sudden?" Kagome asked herself. When she got home, her mom explained her everything during dinner and Kagome could not even believe that her mother, out of all people in this sad, sad world, would suggest such a thing!  
  
"You want me... to work as a house maid... in Kyoto?" Kagome asked her mother softly. Her mother nodded as she held the piece of paper in her hands.  
  
"Do you know how good this is?" she asked her daughter, "you get to work for one of the richest families in the country!"  
  
"But in Kyoto, mama? So far away? It's already enough to not live in the shrine. And now we can't live in Tokyo either?!"  
  
"No," she assured, "you go to Kyoto. Souta, grandpa, and I will stay here."  
  
"What?! You're not coming?!" Kagome asked infuriated as she rose from her chair.  
  
"It's only for the summer, Kagome," her mother said, "or a sixth of a year, if my math's correct."  
  
"But still..." Kagome sighed, "Why can't you come with me?"  
  
"Money, Kagome. Money! We don't have it. We can only afford enough for you..."  
  
"But I have to work as a house maid? I can't even clean my own room."  
  
"That's why we have the entire weekend to work on it," her mother stated as she reached for her daughter's hands. "I know you can do this. You've been through a lot this year and you've been able to step through magnificently..."  
  
Oh, man... Did she have to remind Kagome about that again?  
  
That no-good ex of hers...  
  
"Mama, let's not talk about that. Please?" Kagome asked as she sighed again and looked down towards her empty plate. Her mother looked away, ashamed of herself for knowing better than to bring that up again. What was she thinking?  
  
"Sorry... I'm just trying to do what I think is best, dear. You know that, right?" her mother asked. Kagome looked at her mother finally and felt like she wasn't strong enough yet.  
  
Her mother was wrong.  
  
She hasn't 'stepped through magnificently'  
  
Because the truth was that she hasn't; she still droops over him. The worst part of all this was that she didn't even know why. She possibly couldn't love him. He cheated on her with someone else, and that 'some one else' is now pregnant with his child!  
  
How could she love him?  
  
Her mother noticed her daughter's sudden change in expression. She saw Kagome bite her lip and clench her hands hesitantly around her own.  
  
"Why did he do this to me, mama?"  
  
Her mother's heart broke as she saw her daughter's tears tumble down freely.  
  
"...what did I do wrong...?"  
  
Her mother guided her weeping daughter out of the kitchen and into the living room, as she endeavored to console her daughter the best way possible. But by the way things seemed, this condolence wasn't really doing any good.  
  
"It's not your fault, hun..." her mother said.  
  
Kagome felt her heart slowly go at ease as she heard her mother whisper to her. "You did nothing wrong..." Kagome hugged her mother around her neck and dug her face into her shoulder, as she sobbed lightly in that warm embrace she always loved.  
  
"It's gonna be all right..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome eventually got herself together that weekend, and spent the entire Saturday working on her stepping, her speech, and trying to bring back that so-called curtsy she had back in the old days of childhood. Souta kept making fun of her as she was acting like her own family was the one she was going to be hired as. Her grandfather couldn't recognize her since she seemed to be so sweet and delicate that day. School exams were finally out of the way, and she jumped with joy as she received her report card in the mailbox with all subjects A's and A+'s.  
  
[Yes, Kagome-chan. We know you're worthy of Harvard. Don't rub it in.]  
  
Then came the big day: June 10th.  
  
Her mother waved good-bye to Kagome as the train to Kyoto shot off into the afternoon sky. Kagome's worries stacked up on her like a stack of plates, and she couldn't help but hesitate of this whole situation. She tried to looked at the sights out of her window until she managed to fall asleep. What relief she felt...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She arrived at the desired building. She took her name tag and number, and sat down in a chair aligned with girls talking amongst themselves. There were so many of them, and all for the same purpose.  
  
Kagome took out her purse and stuck her lucky pen in her mouth. She never knew why pens made her calm down so much, but all that mattered is that it worked... Just biting that damn thing with her jaw made her anger and anxieties fly away like ugly-looking ravens.  
  
It was finally 5:30 when girls were finally asked to come in one by one into the other room. Slowly and anxiously they all went, some in the verge of hysteria, and some filled with a confidence larger than the Niagara Falls.  
  
But many came out bawling like newborns and some with faces infuriated with anger. Kagome felt very sad for the tear-filled maidens. Maybe they needed this job for bigger reasons other than re-buying a home shrine. Maybe they were even worse in life that herself. Who knew?  
  
She looked at her watch with an affectionate face as she read 6:15 pm ticking rhythmically.  
  
"Number 57, please?" A young woman called out. Kagome looked at her number and stood up. The woman grinned sweetly as Kagome entered the room. As she walked by the other girls going after her, she could notice a few of their faces sending her messages. Some looked at her with a face of envy, because she went before them. Some didn't even care...  
  
But the door closed, nonetheless.  
  
"This is it..." Kagome thought as she sighed one last time, "it's time to shine..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The interview started, and Kagome really was impressed with herself as she answered every question with a very placid calmness. She talked to the young woman with no hesitation. Kagome felt no pressure or fear. She felt at ease with all this.  
  
Across from her eyes was a large mirror, at least 10 feet wide and a yard long in divided area. But there was something that young Kagome didn't know:  
  
Inutaisho Takahashi and Kumiko Takahashi were behind it in a secret room. These were the people who chose which girl was going to be hired for the job and which one was packing up and going home. They were the wealthy couple who the girl was going to work for.  
  
The handsome taiyoukai was standing up straight with his hand cupped under his chin, his eyes surveying the young girl.  
  
"What do you think of this one?" he asked his mate, "do you think she's worthy?" Kumiko didn't reply.  
  
"What was her name again?" she asked. He put both his hands on his pockets and sighed.  
  
"I think it was Higurashi Kagome?" he asked as he made sure his intellects were true. Kumiko looked at his motions for a moment and then looked back at Kagome. A grin began to bend across her lips as she leaned her side towards Inutaisho.  
  
"Ah. I see," she said. She kept looking at the girl with a very splendid shine in her eyes as she listened to her speak in her convivial and lively voice.  
  
"She would really make quite a lovely singer," she commented, "don't you think?"  
  
"Don't start that up again. I'm not going to hire her, Kumiko," he said, "this is the first time she has worked as a maid. Not only that, but this is her first job ever! You know as well as I that we can't hire someone inexperienced to such an employment. We have to hire the most experienced and the best in Kyoto."  
  
"Dear, she came all the way from Tokyo, Japan. Do you know how much it costs to get here? And she's doing it for very legitimate and caring reasons."  
  
"I have heard more pitying stories than hers. Trying to earn money to buy back a shrine is not a good reason, Kumiko."  
  
The woman sighed. She knew what happened when he became stubborn like this. Nothing would ever change his mind; his philosophies were always true. Unless something contradicted them...  
  
"You know what? Ever since I was a little girl, it never crossed my mind that something like that would happen to me. I never thought I would have to leave it someday. I always thought I would live there, and I even dreamt of raising some children there of my own..."  
  
The couple in the room focused again on the girl.  
  
"Go on..." she said. Kagome paused for a second to gather herself. She then continued.  
  
"My mother was born and raised in the shrine as well, just like her mother and her mother's mother and so on; and since my mother had me, it's now up to me to continue the line of generations. I don't want this to end with me. I want my children to live in that shrine, and I want them to be raised just as I was..."  
  
"So you're applying for this job just for the continuation of your bloodline?" Kaede asked unbelievingly with a raised eyebrow. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"No... I also... I also want to save up enough money to pay for college tuition..." she said shyly. Kaede was very shocked when she heard this.  
  
"You're in school?" she asked. Kagome blinked at her and nodded.  
  
"Yes, ma'am..."  
  
As Kumiko looked at her husband, he kept on studying young Kagome and sighed. He looked at his mate.  
  
"What?" he scolded.  
  
"Now what do you think? Is saving up money for college and continuing the bloodline well enough reasons, or are you still refusing?" Inutaisho smirked a frown and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Feh," he mumbled. Kumiko smiled.  
  
"Is that a yes?" she said eagerly. Inutaisho looked at her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well, Ms. Higurashi. You just wait here and I'll be back with your stats." Kagome looked at the woman confusedly.  
  
"My stats?" she reiterated.  
  
"I'm basically going to go see if it's thumbs up or thumbs down. Wait here, please." And with a grin, she closed the door. Kagome felt relived to hear that door shut; she finally had time to herself. Kaede's reaction to the college thing started to sink it anxiously in her mind.  
  
Was that bad?  
  
Was that good?  
  
The poor girl started grabbing her pen again and gripping it tightly, trying to squeeze away the stress out of her system.  
  
But Kagome almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the door open and close. Kaede's face was expressionless. But Kagome knew that the result was definitely a thumbs down for sure...  
  
Kaede gave her a box and motioned Kagome to open it. Kagome looked at her, but opened it anyways.  
  
Inside, there was a black and white short-sleeved buttoned chemise, a black skirt , a white apron , a pair of white tennis shoes, and a pair of white stockings. Kagome's eyes widened towards Kaede. Kagome's eyes trembled with joy. Kaede smiled at the official maid.  
  
Was she really a maid now?  
  
Was she really?!  
  
"Congratulations, hun. Your schedule and everything is in the box. You are to be in this room next week at 6:00 am sharp. If you have any questions, my number is in the sheet as well." Kaede grinned. "Got it?"  
  
Kagome gulped excitedly as she beamed with amazement towards the woman. She wanted to squeal with joy so bad, but she sustained herself and shook her head yes.  
  
"Good. See you next week then," she said as she opened to door to Kagome and called out the next number.  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


	2. Chapter 2: Fixer Upper

As dinner time was slowly and painfully reaching its end, Kagome was telling her family her about her trip to Kyoto and the interview with Kaede. Her mother was really too excited to even bother and noticed that Kagome has now told the same story three times already. But poor grandpa and Souta were already lazy-eyed and flooded with boredom. The poor mourners were in the verge of falling asleep, for Kami's sake...  
  
"Oh! You want to see the uniform they gave me? Here." She took out the box and gave it to her mother. Her mother's eyes were as wide as full moons as she took out the skirt and looked at it with sudden concern.  
  
"Kagome, dear? Don't you think this skirt is a little...small?" her mother asked as she rubbed the fabric with her fingers. Kagome blinked confusedly at her mother as she stood up with plates in hand.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked she walked to their kitchen and came back. Her mother leaned back on her chair and looked at Kagome's standing figure from head to toe. She eyed the skirt and shook her head then.  
  
"Your behind's too big to fit in this, dear. Can't you change it?" she asked. Kagome gasped with surprise as she heard the question slip out of her mother's lips.  
  
"Too big...?"Kagome growled. Her mother chortled out loud with laughter.  
  
"It was supposed to be a compliment," she reassured smiling.  
  
"Yeah, right. My butt's perfectly fine, thank you!" she said conceitedly as she crossed her arms and sat down in her chair.  
  
"Why don't you try it on, sis?" Souta offered generously, "then we'll see who's right." Kagome smirked at her brother. Little goofball...  
  
"Sure, why not? Let's have a look-see, then."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh my Kami!" exclaimed Mrs. Higurashi as she looked at her daughter in the opaque-colored uniform.  
  
"What? What is it? Do I look bad?" Kagome asked as she came out of her room. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself; and to be honest, at first, Kagome couldn't recognize herself. She actually looked pretty good. She didn't have any riffles in her skirt so she didn't look like a human umbrella, thank the Lords.  
  
"I like it! In fact, you look older!" Grandpa smiled at her. Souta snickered a couple of times and then said:  
  
"Yeah, you look more mature, too," Souta jeered. Kagome stuck out her tongue at her pesky younger sibling. The little monster responded to her in the same way. But all that was interrupted by her mother (yet again) as she gasped.  
  
"Look, Kagome! Your boobs have grown!" her mother smiled as she looked at her daughter in the mirror, "either that or that chemise is too small for you. Oh, wait. Let me get the measuring tape really quick."  
  
"Ah! Mama, don't! Ew!" Kagome exclaimed while her cheeks blushed immensely and stood covering her chest with embarrassment. But sooner or later, her mother measured them (with help attributed by Grandpa and Souta as they held her arms at a straight angle).  
  
"Aha! I knew it! They grew an inch!" her mother said dreamingly, "Oooh! My daughter's growing up!" After such a statement, she embraced her daughter with an immense pride. But Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"Yea, mama. Thanks..." she mumbled, "can you let go of me now? It's really embarrassing..."  
  
"Oh, don't worry hun!" her mother said as she let go of her, "We'll go garment shopping tomorrow. Don't worry..."  
  
Kagome groaned as she collapsed in the couch and massaged her lower forehead thoughtfully.  
  
"Mama, we really need to prescribe you some medication for those over-perky mood swings of yours..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
And to Kagome's bad luck, they did go shopping; they bought bras, underwear, and sometimes her mother even suggested  
  
"Thongs?!" Kagome whispered disgustedly as her mother held the little strings of see-through fabric and even tiger-printed ones in between her fingers.  
  
"Why not? I heard they're not that bad," her mother smiled innocently.  
  
"Yea, probably from some like that flirty girl from upstairs," Kagome scoffed, "you're so weird..." Kagome's mother laughed at her daughter's comment and kissed her in the head.  
  
"I was only joking," she stated, "but if I do ever catch you wearing them, I will ground you for life, young lady."  
  
"Yes, mama..." Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
In their last week together, all they ended up doing was practicing, practicing, and more practicing. Kagome hung out with her friends and told them about her new job. Most of them said good luck with smirks in their faces but some were actually jealous that she was working for someone so rich. But it was only for two months; so it wasn't that bad, right?  
  
But then June 17th finally arrived in the calendar, and Kagome and her family said their final farewells and waved her goodbye as she left on the road to Kyoto. She had so many things to worry about.  
  
Did she leave anything?  
  
Did she forget to do something before time?  
  
Were her mister and mistress nice?  
  
Were they going to torture her?  
  
Kagome was so deep in thought that she didn't notice sleep was overtaking her. Her eyelids closed slowly, and she felt into a place of slumber.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She changed into her work clothes and arrived right on time. She walked into the room and was greeted by a group of other maids. They all looked at the newcomers with their behinds in their chairs.  
  
"Hey! Another one!" a young man exclaimed and they all hollered with joy as they all guided her to a seat. Kagome was surprised at first, but slowly she began to feel part of the group and settled in quite nicely.  
  
"Okay, everyone! Silence in the room!"  
  
They all immediately stopped twittering They hushed up with blank stares in their faces. Kagome emulated their actions.  
  
"I'm taking attendance to make sure that you're all here. I'm calling you by your first name, all right? Good. We'll start, then."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Eventually they were inside this limousine all ready to go and buckled up.  
  
They passed by the metropolitan streets of Kyoto with that utterly non- existent amount of excitement. The poor guys (and girls) were sitting down quietly in the back, not a single word or even a whisper escaping from their lips.  
  
From Kagome's eyes it seemed as if this is what was expected of a live-in. Kagome's thoughts roamed around some more as she wondered ever so deeply if her mister and mistress were going to be that challenging and demanding.  
  
As she leaned on towards the window, the buildings flew by her sight. The busy-like atmosphere dilated slowly as she started seeing massive hills of grass, broadening for acres and acres nonstop. She looked on towards the road and everyone else seemed to become less lively by the time Kagome sighed.  
  
"Well everyone. Here were are! Before I let you out of this limo, I want to firstly tell you some facts. You master is Mr. Inutaisho, and that is the only way you are going to address him as. He is internationally known for owning the most-preserved acres of grass in the entire country of Japan. He is also the president of the Kumiyarusho, Inc."  
  
"He is a very good master as well as his wife Lady Kumiko. But I must tell you something, especially to those of you lechers amongst the group," he said. Two boys quietly nodded with a sly smile of his face. The other guys snickered openly.  
  
"Silence!" he interrupted, "anyways. The 5 rules of the mansion are plain and simple: Don't speak. Don't disobey. Don't disrespect. Don't lie. Don't procrastinate."  
  
"If any person in the mansion, including you all, witnesses any kind of physical contact with any of Mr. Inutaisho's children, you are obligated to come and tell me immediately. This is exactly like baseball; one, two, three strikes and you are out! There will be dire consequences if you violate any of these laws..."  
  
After nodding yes to the driver, they all climbed out of the car and watched it enter the garage on their left.  
  
"Well, let's go, y'all!" sighed one of the male servants. The others shrugged with complaint but did so anyway.  
  
Once they reach the door that lied on the pinnacle of a large hill, they all caught their breath and looked at each other, wondering who should be the one to knock. Kagome volunteered.  
  
The whole group stared at each other even more bewildered than before as they sighed and gulped down their fears.  
  
"This is it, guys," Kagome grinned. Everyone smiled and nodded back, as Kagome knuckled her hand and knocked the door thrice. 


	3. Chapter 3: Who is that girl?

All 10 of them nervously stood there, wondering who would open up. Kagome was scared out of her wits since she was right in front of the two white doors. They all sighted the knob turning slowly, and braced themselves as it opened.  
  
They beheld the young woman who interviewed them back in downtown Kyoto. Unlike last time, she smiled contently towards the employees.  
  
"Hello again, everyone! Remember me?" she asked, "yes, of course you do. In case you didn't know, my name's Kaede and I too have been working for the Takashi family for quite sometime now, just like Toutousai." She pointed her finger towards the driver walking out the garage door. He twirled his hat welcomingly with a grin.  
  
"Well come on in, everyone, and I'll show you around the place. Well actually, someone else is doing that for me. So be on your best behavior and wait here for a few moments." She then turned closed the entrance door behind her and left the group staring at the room with awe and amazement.  
  
Not a single person dared break the sweet melodies of classical music playing on the speakers on the wall. Everything was very updated both technologically and industrially.  
  
The living room was not really a room. It was quite open and circular like. The beige couches were forming a circle shape that was congruent to the room. In the middle stood a porcelain pot filled with all kinds of tropical flowers and plants. There were around 10 hallways along the walls of the living rooms, which lead to the rooms as Kagome supposed.  
  
Throughout the car ride, Kagome introduced herself to her group of new friends. She liked every single one of them, and they all seemed to be the nicest of people.  
  
Sango was the first one she met there, as well as her 15-year-old brother Kohaku (a shy boy by first glance). She then introduced her friend Shippou, a fox youkai and a very loud and down-to-earth young man. After than she met Sango's cousin Nazuna (a really outspoken girl if she didn't mind thinking so), and then Ayame, a very sweet (but short-tempered) red-headed wolf youkai with the prettiest emerald eyes Kagome had ever seen.  
  
Ayame then introduced Kagome to her neighbors Nobunaga and his girlfriend Tsuyu, a couple which has been together for almost 3 years. Kagome was impressed by this...  
  
Then Tsuyu introduced her friend Koharu to the group, who was a little shy at first but then blended right into the pot eventually. And then there was Souten and Hiten, two thunder youkai with a very stong brother-sister relationship. And last, but not least, there was Musou. He's Shippou's best friend and is just like him in every way (other than being human). People might think of him of being kind of lower than everyone else, but everyone liked him for his kindness.  
  
And as they started to walk around and looked at the whole place with awe in their eyes, they finally broke the silence. Well, at least Shippou did...  
  
"Hey! Where's the kitchen? I'm starving here!" Shippou said as he groaned like a baby and looked around with his tail bouncing as he walked.  
  
"Why are you asking us? We're just as clueless as you are!" Musou exclaimed while looking at the place. Everyone muttered agreements with him.  
  
"Are we really going to clean this place?" asked Ayame, an exasperated laugh escaping her throat, "what's there to clean? It looks perfectly fine to me!"  
  
"I know! It's even cleaner than my sister's room. And she's one hell of a perfectionist!" Hiten commented as he looked throught the aquarium perpendicular to the side of the entrance. His sister Souten rolled her eyes at the boy whom she was cursed with to be related to. Nazuna smiled at her and looked at the flowers dreamily as she used two of her fingers, bring it close to her nose to smell it.  
  
"My God. This place is amazing! Everything's so perfect and peaceful!" Kagome stated as she looked at the flat screen TV across from the room.  
  
"At least until the master and mistress come," Sango smirked sadly, "and then we can just throw perfection and peace out the window."  
  
"Well, the guy in the limo said the master was nice." Kohaku commented shyly.  
  
"But that still doesn't mean that we have to believe him," Tsuyu said calmly. Nobunaga nodded agreeing.  
  
Then suddenly, they hear someone clearing their throat from the left side of the room. They all turned to who seemed to be the mistress! Like Kagome, everyone froze then and there, hoping that they did nothing wrong so far. The attractive lady just smiled contently towards them as she sat down on the circle-shaped couch.  
  
"I'm very glad you are all here. Won't you mind having a seat? I have to clarify a few things before the tour." And everyone, at first shocked, all sat down calmly.  
  
"Tour?" thought Kagome.  
  
"First let me introduce myself. My name is Kumiko Takashi, and I'm Inutaisho Takashi's mate/wife. I'm basically the mistress of this mansion. And by the looks on your faces, I beg you to please not fear me. I don't like treating others like dogs, and you'll soon find out why."  
  
"Um, what should we call you...?" Shippou asked, sitting right next to her. Ms. Takashi chuckled to herself and touched his shoulder calmly.  
  
"Call me Lady Kumiko, please. Shortening of names irritates me." They all nodded.  
  
"I already know all your names and information by heart. So you don't need to introduce yourselves." She then stood up and smiled more widely than ever.  
  
"Shall we start the tour now?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"God, I can't wait until I get home. We finally get those stupid maids for the summer. I don't ever understand why we even bother paying them so much. We need that money for pedicures, you know!"  
  
Sesshoumaru was driving his car towards the mansion which was his home, as his bubbly step-sister Rin talked in back seat with her friend Shiori. God, he couldn't stand those two; whether together or separated. All they did was shop, shop, shop and let's see. what else? Oh yea, flirt like hell. That's all they did. He couldn't stand it! He hoped than one day, just one lousy day, those two became mature enough to live actual lives.  
  
"Will you stop criticizing people so much? You know what father says about that," he stated as he looked at her through his rear-view mirror of the convertible Audi.  
  
"I'm not criticizing people," she shrugged, "just the servants."  
  
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as the two ditsy twits laughed their butts off over such an offense. He had to try and discipline his step sister the best he could; both his life and his father depended on him to do so. True he agrees with the fact that maids and servants are inferior, but he still didn't like prejudicial comments like hers. He's been through jeering and teasing back in grade school for being a rich taiyoukai, so he feels remorse for those people.  
  
"Yeah, Sesshoumaru, lighten up a little. It's not like they should be offended. They can't do anything about it. It's not their fault their parents grew in poverty or whatever," said Shiori the bat-hanyou.  
  
"Yeah I mean, God destined them to be servants, right?" asked Rin, "they just need to get over the fact that we're more educated and they're not."  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked.  
  
"Well by what you're telling me, it seems like it's the other way around, I think," he said. The senior high-school sophomore scoffed.  
  
"As if. We're the rich people."  
  
"And you lack manners."  
  
"I don't need manners."  
  
"But I thought you said we were the educated ones," he grinned slyly, outsmarting the girl and teasing her like he enjoys doing. But Rin just crossed her arms and gave up.  
  
"And I rest my case." As the gates opened to the mansion, he parked his car in the garage and opened the door to the basement, which lead a pair of stairs to the house. He let the girls enter first and let them run about to Rin's room. And as for him, he went to the kitchen.  
  
After coming out the kitchen, he never expected to see this happen yet. He wasn't prepared...  
  
He saw his stepmother speaking to a pack of opaque-uniformed servants standing in a group looking at her attentively. He came in and looked at the group. And as his eyes roamed around, there was this certain persona, whom he just mentally awed with incredulity.  
  
He couldn't take his eyes off of this girl...  
  
This... this maid...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Lady Kumiko explained to them about the family's rituals and their home's history, Kagome felt an awkward presence in the area, a stinging sense in the back of her head. She glanced to her left, and looked at the most handsome man she's ever seen in her life! He was reclining on a wall near the kitchen, gazing at not the group... but at her! And like any other girl in this world would feel, she mentally cursed herself as she began freaking out quite hurriedly. But at the same time she was praising him for his inadequate and perfect complexions of splendor in his face.  
  
She couldn't move a single muscle as that man looked at her with that frozen gaze. He was looking at her. Kagome! Who on earth would dare look at her? Out of all people in this world? She prayed that those cursed and yet beloved yellow eyes looked elsewhere so she could get this burdened anxiety off of her.  
  
It seemed like hours that this kept on going. The mistress was speaking of something, but she obviously wasn't listening; she didn't really care anyway. She tried to keep looking at Sango now and then, in attempt to distract herself from him. But her mind kept begging her to return back to his amber eyes. He was trying to tell her something; she just knew it. His eyes were beseeching her for something; but she knew not what it was.  
  
She held her hands together in front of her, squeezing with might as she tried to convince her flooded conscience to turn her eyes towards somewhere else; anywhere! Anywhere except his eyes!  
  
She heard Lady Kumiko clap her hands and Kagome finally looked at her.  
  
"Well then, let's go to the-Oh! Sesshoumaru, deary, I didn't see you there!" She smiled as everyone looked at him curiously. He seemed to make a welcoming nod in the head, as he tried to be polite to the throng of employees. Kagome tried to take her mind off of him by attempting to gain an admiration and an queer interest in the carpet (one reason to look away, basically).  
  
Lady Kumiko started walking a little towards the kitchen door, and stood next to her step son. So obviously, this was most undeniably uncool...  
  
They just had to be standing next to each other! Why couldn't he stand somewhere else? Why couldn't she just leave this place and go sleep? A bed and a pillow was the only thing her mind was begging for. Her fears started multiplying by the second, as Lady Kumiko instructed the group to walk inside the kitchen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She could remember feeling like time was slowing itself down, like every step took twice the time than expected. She felt the world almost freeze as she approached more nearly towards those amber eyes of his. She could feel his aura grow larger and larger as she approached.  
  
And as he reclined his back towards the wall, a mere foot away from the kitchen door with arms crossed, his head was slowly turning, continuing their stare. He almost couldn't believe these strange feelings he was undergoing. He couldn't understand why he couldn't just break off this chain. He could do it with almost everyone he knew. But he couldn't do it with this girl. He wanted to, but there was nothing to pull him away from all this.  
  
He was completely on his own.  
  
The way she walked, the way she stared, even the way she smelled sent waves of pleasure and sensation through his veins and muscles. His mind emptied of pressure or heaviness. She seemed to have purification powers... But how was it possible? She was only a maid!  
  
Goodness... He really had not idea what was happening...  
  
She walked on as her fears continuing to multiply even more than before, making her heart heavy with trepidation and uneasiness. She begged the gods above to let time fly as quickly as possible so she could get all this pain off her system. All she wanted was some relaxation and rest. She was so tired of all this! She couldn't stand a single minute of this any longer!  
  
But thankfully the whole finally group entered the kitchen, as Koharu scared the living soul out of Kagome (just by tapping her shoulder).  
  
"Are you all right, Kagome? You seem kind of... freaked," she stated concernedly.  
  
But Kagome looked back towards the door, which Lady Kumiko accidentally left open. Sesshoumaru noticed this as well, and he approached inside the kitchen, and grabbed the door knob, triggering his eyes towards her chocolate ones persistently.  
  
"Yes, Koharu... I'm fine..." She was showing no eyes contact towards the sweet girl; alas she was back to that cursed stare again. And as he closed the door, she could feel his burning and stinging gaze make her hands shaking with wishful hoping of his departure.  
  
Sesshoumaru closed the door finally, and stood there facing the living room in front. And he was thinking this:  
  
He, Sesshoumaru, regarded a maid (actually a beautiful maid), straight in the eye; with no type of shame or conscience!  
  
What the hell was going on, man? Hell, who knew? He surely didn't... [And I surely don't either ^^]  
  
He passed his hand through his face, fell on the couch, and sighed as if bewildered.  
  
"So... Her name's Kagome..." he said to himself, his fingers tapping his stomach as he laid his back on the couch.  
  
"Kami, even her name sounds heavenly..."  
  
He groaned again, his mind twisted in a very complicated knot that he thought he could never straighten out. Too many thoughts plagued his mind at that moment. Any moment now, his brother would come bolting into the house screaming like a the lunatic he was and start irritating the hell out of him. And the same goes for his horny friend Miroku. Man was he a nutcase. Hopefully they'll go get a job this year... But then again they did have maids this summer... So a big 'X' mark for that thought.  
  
"Oh man," he exhaled, "...this is going to be such a long summer..." 


	4. Chapter 4: Hentai and Lust Mode

The entire time they've been doing this: looking around the house and trying to memorize the ways to fold the clothes and flatten the bedspreads. They had to memorize all this in such a short amount of time and also the ways to get around the house as well. Goodness gracious! It was almost ludicrous!  
  
But thankfully Lady Kumiko dismissed the throng of servants when the clock struck noon. Kagome had never felt so relieved in her entire life. As they all finally were told to go to their rooms, they were surprised to see the luggage lying on their beds. Poor Souten felt offended with the fact that they didn't think they were strong enough to carry their own luggage.  
  
"Uh, sis? I think it's something called kindness," said Hiten as he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"No, bro. It's something called pity," Souten scolded.  
  
"Who cares what it is, man? I don't want to go down and get my own luggage. It'd be a pain!" said Koharu.  
  
"And I'm not strong enough to carry my luggage anyway." Tsuyu admitted.  
  
They all noticed that they slept on the same hallway but in different rooms. Each room was plain and ordinary. They had covers, comforters, full- sized mattresses, two pillows, and a wooden frame in the bed. The sun shined luminously through the two French windows on the wall, and the bed called for Kagome. And like any other tired person in this Earth, Kagome obeyed the order given and she lied on her bed with a joyful sigh.  
  
She grabbed the pillow nearest to her and she gave a relieved sigh. A comfy bed was all she needed, as her worries started to boggle away from her mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Back in his room, Sesshoumaru closed the door to his room, and collapsed in his bed, thinking again of those emotions he underwent not too long ago. He lied on his bed as he turned on this stereo and listened to some J-pop on the radio. He was looking up at the ceiling, his face blank of expression like an empty canvas upon a stool. His mind wasn't sure of what to think, what to feel, what to sense. It was altered, twisted, and confused; misshaped and suddenly dysfunctional.  
  
His eyes looked wonderingly at the ceiling fan spinning on and on nonstop, making his face cool down as well as the stresses choking his neck. But talking about choking, he thought of his younger half-brother Inuyasha, that ridiculous little bozo who ran around the house singing a song about "mamasitas" and "motherf---ing hoes"; or anything associated to American pop music...  
  
My god, he hated it so much! And to make things worse, Miroku would sing it along with him and then pump up the radio and play this American punk band called... He groaned to himself forgetting the name of the band.  
  
But it was something like Good Charlotte or Good Charlie; something along those lines of idiocy.  
  
And he could remember that Miroku stayed over at their house every summer, since his parents were always so busy on exchange meetings and business trips. And something else Miroku was distinguished for is for always checking out the maids of the house and even groping them whenever they were bending down to get something or when they bowed down to an order. He was mostly 80% of the reason why half of the maids last year quit the job.  
  
And talking about maids...  
  
That stupid girl was still tacked to his memory.  
  
That Kagome...  
  
He hated her! How dare she make him, Sesshoumaru Takahashi; one of the richest people in Japan, long for a lower-class maid like her? He could understand if he lusted for his father's friends' daughters, who were just as rich as he was.  
  
But a maid?! Yuck!  
  
That was just not only nonsensical but utterly atrocious! Just the mere thought of him and a maid just made his superior hygiene thicken with even more disgust. He inwardly shuttered.  
  
But to no matter...  
  
He was so angry...  
  
Not angry with himself; but he was angry at her! It was her fault that she was making him think these bewildering thoughts of awe and praise. It was all her fault!  
  
Not his!  
  
He felt so disgusted with himself. And like any other rich person in this province would do, there was only one way to get tension out of your chest. And that, people, was by grabbing some money from your wallet, and smelling it. Yes: sniffing the scent of fresh cash. Just by letting his mind know that he had tons of it in his bank account, it allowed all the worries go away. Sesshoumaru's relief is money, and as long as he has it he can do anything he wants with it.  
  
And that's all that mattered.  
  
But he then smiled to himself again and sighed, as he gave a shut eye and fell asleep.  
  
Around 5:00 pm he woke up, and he noticed that it was dinner time.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
Dinner time! And what did that mean? The maids got to serve the food...  
  
"God dammit all!" he muttered to himself and groaned loudly, "Oh well. My life sucks anyway."  
  
And so he was down in the table, along with Mr. Inutaisho, Lady Kumiko, Inuyasha, Miroku, Rin, and Shiori. They sat themselves patiently, and one by one the servants came in with the food prepared.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
But as she grabbed the other plate Koharu handed her, she tried her best to not show two things. One: her sleepy face; and two: her anxious apprehensiveness. But she was more worried with number two. She knew immediately that the man from before was going to be there, and she supposed he was going to be gazing at her with that lungful gaze from before.  
  
Kagome walked on to the dining room, and felt all their eyes on her. If she had a paper bag in front of her right then and there, she would take advantage of it and hurl.  
  
Yes, she felt that nervous... But she stayed strong, as she looked around to them with a blank face. And for more reason to vomit, that man she gazed at a few moments ago sat right where she needed to stop and put the plate she held. She could feel the fiery glances he shot at her. She would occasionally shoot her own glances at him and every time, she saw those yellow orbs of shine. God, how she hated them so.  
  
She left the plate on the table and walked back to the wall where the others stood with straight backs and waiting faces. Even though she felt his stare even more than before, she looked down still, preferring to gaze at the carpet yet again.  
  
Shippou stood next to Kagome, and she would glance back and forth at him, as the tip of his tongue hung hungrily over his mouth and his eyes triggered towards the food that was scooped up by the hungry bears. Kagome smirked and then looked to her other side to Souten, who wasn't really looking at the food, but at Shippou. Kagome raised a brow towards the girl, and Souten grinned evilly, her eyes pointing to Shippou.  
  
"You devil," Sango mouthed mutely. Souten just shrugged and grinned.  
  
Kagome paid no attention to them any longer, and she once again, but this time accidentally, stared at Him. Thankfully he was still eating... She then looked at her white tennis shoes and then back at him.  
  
He ate the food with a very large and satisfied appetite; it seemed, as well as everyone in the table amongst them. But she saw Lady Kumiko look up towards them, and she yelped apologetically.  
  
"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry! You're dismissed until um... let me see," she said looking at her watch, "how about 6:30? Is that all right with you all?"  
  
When she asked the group that question, everyone looked at each other, wondering whether they should keep their beeks shut or they should gawk out some answer. Maids and/or servants weren't in that kind of level to be asked a yes-or-no question. But it seemed no one insisted on saying anything. Kagome didn't like the sound of the old clock ticking every second. She hated silence. She hated it with such a passion...  
  
"Yes, ma'am. It's fine with us..." she said clearly. She saw his eyes looking at her again, and she made connection again; the stupid rope of his gaze was pulling her to and away from him. She had her hands behind her back, as she squeezed one hand to the other. How she hated being stared by men. Just the word 'gaze' made her spine tighten with discomfort. But Lady Kumiko turned to her surprised, expecting someone like Shippou (loud mouth) to answer instead. Naetheless, she grinned and nodded in approval.  
  
"Oh, please! Don't leave yet!" Everyone turned to this boy with a small ponytail, a pierced ear, and very shining brown eyes. Rin rubbed her temple with her finger and groaned mentally as she knew now that the perverted horndog stood up and walked towards the huddle of servants. He opened the door and smiled innocently to them (even though his mind is roaming with dirty thoughts). Well, actually, his eyes were more pressed towards the girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. That girl known as Sango...  
  
"Uh... thank you?" said Ayame as she looked at Lady Kumiko confusedly. The mistress just shrugged. And as they all stayed low and bowed, Sango was the last one to exist the door. And when she felt a hand touch her behind with quite some force, she squatted down and kicked the young man screaming:  
  
"AHHHH! HENTAI!"  
  
Miroku screamed in agony as she hit his manhood with such an unbearable strength. My God! He was groaning on the floor, his hands on his privates and his forehead on the carpet. But all the family did was laugh hysterically (well, at least Inuyasha was; everyone else was glaring at him). Sango opened her eyes and looked at her victim with a confused gaze. She then widened her eyes and immediately jerked her head to her master. She winced quietly and braced herself by gulping.  
  
"Uh... Sorry, sir," she stuttered, "I took self-defense classes so... oopsies...?"  
  
The other servants came back and looked at the man of the hour (Miroku). Musou and Hiten tried to sustain themselves from giving Sango a high five and snickering out loud. Nobunaga and Shippou just bit their lips and mentally chuckled. All the girls could do is shake their heads and cross their arms. "Good riddance" was the only thing on their minds.  
  
"Sango? Please follow me..." Sango turned to her master, as he stood and motioned her to do as he said. Sango stood up from her squatting position, and walked behind Inutaisho with a bowed head and her hands in front.  
  
"Well, like I said everyone, take a break until 6:30 pm. I'll tell you what is to be done when you get back."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Rin left the table after she finished her dinner, she walked upstairs and passed through the hallway where she looked inside the rooms and glanced at the servants sneering with disgust and abhorrence. Shiori was doing the same.  
  
They were supposed to walk on and turn right to her room and stay in there the rest of the time. But ironically, Shiori stopped.  
  
She tip-toed towards the room of this servant, with a freckly face and brown hair in a bushy ponytail. He was human; and as she trailed her eyes up and down his bodice, she stared at the sleeping boy persistently. Rin noticed Shiori's sudden change in her physiognomies; because she didn't seem to be scolding.  
  
"Oh wow," she said breathlessly, "He's so hot..." Rin raised her brows towards her friend, and she looked back at Kohaku, then back at her.  
  
"Shiori, that's so gross. You think a servant is hot? What's wrong with you? What do you see in him?" Shiori smirked at her friend.  
  
"I'm only saying that he's good-looking. I'm not saying that I want to fuck him hard or anything."  
  
"Yeah right, that's what you said about that Bankotsu servant last year," Rin said rolling eyes. Shiori scoffed a smile.  
  
"I did not screw him!" Shiori declared punching Rin's arm playfully. Rin crossed her arms, and sighed. She looked at the sky dreamingly and said:  
  
"Oh, Good ol' days of fun. Gosh. Too bad they're over..."  
  
Shiori shook her head and looked again at Kohaku.  
  
"Still, I think he's hot. Hopefully he'll be brave enough to speak. He seems kind of shy."  
  
Rin shrugged. She actually kept looking at the gorgeous boy with a skeptical glimmer in her brown eyes. And each second that passed, she seemed to agree more and more with Shiori's statement. He had very nice broad shoulders, even for a 15-year-old like him. They seemed to have two things in common out of three. They were both humans. And even though this might sound snobbish in her part, but they were gorgeous little bitches too.  
  
But money seemed to be the thing that made them both enemies. But Rin was the type of girl who wanted to be treated like a princess: if she wishes for something, she got it.  
  
And she looked upon the god-like boy in bed, and she looked at Shiori.  
  
"Come on, let's roll." And with that they both walked into her room and turned up the radio. All the while Shiori was looking at Rin with a questioning gaze, Rin sat next to her looking at the ceiling fan, her mind expanding the horizons of her imagination, plotting a plan that will make that boy hers. She suddenly felt a desire to have him, and she was willing to do anything for him.  
  
"Oh God. She's in lust mode, isn't she?" Shiori thought, "This. Cannot. Be good..." 


	5. Chapter 5: Sesshoumaru's Conscience

~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE MAID  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sango joined them back again, and she seemed quite relieved when she got out from that room. As night finally came and the moon claimed its status in the starry sky, all the girl maids gathered in Ayame's room for their first official Huddle Club meeting.  
  
"So basically what happened was that Mr. Inutaisho apologized for the guy's obvious intrusion of my personal bubble," Sango explained, "and that he himself was going to make sure from now on that nothing like this ever happens again. He also told me that he was going to give him a big punishment as well."  
  
"I actually kind of bad for the guy," Koharu said concernedly, "what do you think the punishment's going to be like?" The girls looked at her with shocked and yet bewildered faces. Ayame sighed.  
  
"My goodness! Stop looking so freaked out, Koharu-chan," Ayame said, "it's not like they're going to flog him or cut off his head in a guillotine or anything."  
  
"Yeah, but still. It still sounds like the kind of punishment those psycho killers use in horror movies." The whole group laughed at the scared Koharu who in the end laughed at herself along with them. Kagome checked the clock on the wall and gasped.  
  
"You guys! It's 11:30! Shouldn't we be at bed right about now?" Everyone stood in shock as they noticed the hands on the clock. They all scrambled about for a few minutes like maniacs, and then they exchanged their goodbyes, and all prayed that good things would come their way.  
  
Let's just hope so too...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A week has passed by already, and not much has happened yet. Between Kagome and Sesshoumaru, the staring and constant glances haven't stopped at all; they've actually gotten more and more persistent and apprehensive as ever. The taiyoukai still hated her for making him weaken so, and the human girl still kept getting chills down her spine as he looked at her.  
  
Even when she faces her back towards him, the anxiety just gets worse! She didn't know what else to do! Her groups of friends (the maids) tried to help her ease a little, but they sadly didn't make her feel like she's accomplished anything. And to make things worse, the servants got assigned specific places (or in Kagome's case rooms) to clean and take care of. Guess where she was assigned?  
  
Why, in Sesshoumaru Takashi's room, of course. As well as his study across the hall, and she had to mend his clothes, wash them, dry them, iron them, and hang them. She didn't know why they couldn't pick someone else to do his room. Why not Souten or Ayame? Why did it have to be her? She sighed with a heavy heart as she looked at the messed up bed where the taiyoukai slept, she supposed.  
  
"At least it's not a doghouse," she thought with slight relief. She began taking the sheets and spreading them out. She lifted the sheets and allowed gravity to let them fall on the bed at ease. She did that with all three sheets, and she took out the covers of the pillows and spread them on top of the sheets. But as she kept on working, her mind was distracted by this book on top of the drawer across the room. She assumed that it would be a good time to take a break, and so got the book and opened it.  
  
This book was actually a-  
  
"A sketchbook...?" she asked herself in a whisper. She looked at it with a sudden bright and positive admiration for the talented wonder-dog. She saw geometric shapes, eyes, thumbnail sketches, magazine pictures, and even some writing of his own. She read the passages and tilted her head calmly, letting the smooth words sink into her imagination's deep ravines of gentility. She was finally to the middle of the book, and she was just about to turn the page again. Until something happened...  
  
"What do you think you're doing, maid?"  
  
She gasped immediately and saw Him looking down at her as his eyes hued with an unforgiving darkness that even she could feel stab her heart relentlessly. Her voice seemed to have vanished from her, just when she needed it the most. She could not speak; only look into those eyes which she cursed and yet praised ever so much.  
  
"I... Sorry, sir!" she said quickly before closing the book and put it back in its place. As she walked back to the bed, all Sesshoumaru did was glare at her evilly, his dark side begging to lose free right now. Kagome felt so awkward working while he was around her. She actually felt so much like an object rather than a person. She bit her lip the entire time she pressed the sheets, and the rich demon leaned against the wall perpendicular to bed across from her; all he did was stare.  
  
"It's so quiet..." Kagome thought, "maybe too quiet..." She mentally groaned. "Please don't let him be looking at me. Let him leave this room. Let him leave me alone!"  
  
Sesshoumaru could smell the fear in her, and he triumphantly smiled to himself. This was exactly what he wanted. If you knew well enough already, Sesshoumaru is not the type of person whom you want to mess with in any shape, way, or manner. He wanted to torture her and make her go nuts, just the way she did to him. But could there be another reason why he was staring at her?  
  
"Wh...What the hell am I asking myself this question? Of course there isn't!" he argued himself mentally, "I'm only doing this for payback, not for anything else..."  
  
But before they both knew it, Kagome was finished with her job, and she grabbed her things and opened the door to the hall.  
  
"Stop, human," he commanded. Kagome did as told, a terrified and quizzical expressed in her face. She dared not look at him when he stood in front of her with arms crossed. She wanted to hurl so bad...  
  
"Yes...?" she said almost in a whisper.  
  
"You left a wrinkle on the comforter," he said, "straighten it now." His command seemed like a threat almost, but the maid nonetheless put her stuff down and stood in the bed. She didn't see any wrinkles.  
  
"Where is it, sir?" she asked softly. Irritated, he pointed to a slight and almost unnoticeable wrinkle at the edge of the bed. She murmured a curse to herself as she went and straightened the wrinkle.  
  
"Is it all right now, sir?" she whispered.  
  
"I still see it," he said while leaning again on the wall glaring at her bitterly. And again Kagome swiped her hand in the same spot and straightened the so-called wrinkle.  
  
"How about now, sir?" she quietly asked with a bowed head. He looked at the bed and then back at her.  
  
"Yes. It's fine. You're dismissed." Kagome heard the angels sing now.  
  
"Thank you, sir." She bowed again and went again on her way to the door while grabbing her supplies.  
  
"Human?" he asked coldly. Kagome mentally groaned. What now?  
  
"Lift your head up." he commanded sharply. Kagome straightened her neck and looked across the open door into the hallway. Oh, how she wished to be out of there... He walked in front of her again, and did the worse thing anyone like him could ever do.  
  
"Look at me." Kagome didn't want to. She refused completely. It was out of the question. She wasn't going to do it. She couldn't do it...  
  
Sesshoumaru knew now that she didn't dare do so, and he felt even more victorious as he knew now that his avengement was going along smoothly.  
  
"I said look at me, human. Are you deaf?" he said coldly. But Kagome braced herself inhaling and tilted her eyes to look into his. Now she really wanted to barf...  
  
"Every time I give you an order you have to look at me. If you don't then I'll assume you're ignoring me," he then leaned in a few inches more and glared at her with an even colder tone. "And I don't like being ignored, especially by a human maid like yourself... Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Why the hell does he want to torment her so? Now not only does she have to be his personal maid, but she also has to look at him in the eye when being questioned? This couldn't be happening to her...  
  
She really wished there was gun here somewhere so she could kill herself and die on the spot. But you can't always have what you want, right?  
  
"Yes sir," she nodded.  
  
"And make sure you don't bow your head so much. I'd really feel horror- struck if I found out a hunchback was cleaning my room." Kagome looked at him with the straightest face she could give.  
  
"I will, sir," she said.  
  
"You may go now." Kagome felt relieved when she heard the angels sing again. She thanked him quietly while grabbing her cleaning tools and left the room as swiftly as possible.  
  
Sesshoumaru swiped his hand through his face and rolled his eyes while sighing. He sat on his personal love seat near his balcony sliding door, and rubbed the curve of his nose tiredly.  
  
"What the hell was that, Sesshoumaru? Did you just give her a piece of advice?" he asked himself.  
  
"No, I didn't. I truly don't want a hunchback for a maid," his other voice answered.  
  
"Oh, yeah right. You just don't want her to become ugly."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"C'mon, dude. You know I'm right."  
  
"I refuse to believe such retarded comments."  
  
"Why the hell do you always deny your feelings? You like the freakin' maid, and so what?"  
  
"What do you mean 'so what'? You basically said it; she's a maid!"  
  
"That's never stopped your father, and now he's married to Lady Kumiko."  
  
"And hence I'm cursed with not only a slutty step sister but also an obtuse half-breed brother."  
  
"And since when were you perfect?"  
  
"Shut up! Go away!"  
  
"Uh, knock knock? Earth to Sesshoumaru! I'm your freakin' conscience! I can't just go away." Sesshoumaru hated when this happened. It always seemed to be that the other voice always beat him by a landslide when it comes to these types of things. He really is becoming a softie, isn't he?  
  
"Damn it all, where's my wallet...?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome decided to take a little nap before she started working on lunch with the other girls in the kitchen. When she got there, all of them were whining cutely as if they just saw two puppies cuddle together lovingly.  
  
"Hey guys. What's going on?" But she was immediately hushed.  
  
"My heart is now broken and my soul could not exist, if I'm not by your side through my life and bliss.  
  
I think of your eyes your sweet and lovely scent, pondering if you're the angel my gods have sent.  
  
Even though my life is nothing like yours, I still hope for the best for only our world.  
  
The stars shine bright when you're around, because you're the one I've finally found.  
  
Just to hold your hand and see your smiles, I'd swim through the ocean and run hundreds of miles.  
  
And even thought I'm rich and sometimes listen to blues, I'm now all anew, because I love you..."  
  
When Sango finished reading and whined even more while covering her mouth smiling, she looked at the red-cheeked Nazuna next to her.  
  
"This... is so cute," Sango said, "this is just too cute."  
  
"What's too cute?" Kagome interrupted.  
  
"Nazuna got a love poem under her door this morning," Souten giggled cutely, "it's from her secret admirer." Nazuna's face was so red you could easily mistake her with Elmo.  
  
"Please, stop it! You're making me blush!" Nazuna groaned, "Can you give it back now and not talk about it anymore?"  
  
"No! We need to find out who wrote this," Ayame said.  
  
"AH! No, don't do that! Don't make Nazuna even more nervous!" Tsuyu pleaded.  
  
"There aren't many guys in this mansion, and I doubt that any guys from our group are poets," commented Koharu.  
  
"I think it's one of the rich bitches," entered Shippou.  
  
"And I highly doubt it's that glaring taiyoukai," Sango smiled, "isn't that right, Kagome-chan?" Kagome's widened like beach balls as she saw the girls giggle at her reaction.  
  
"Why are you asking me?" Kagome pointed herself.  
  
"Because you're the one working for him, maybe?" Nazuna asked her grinned.  
  
"And plus, he's attracted to you." \  
  
"WHAT?" Kagome asked in shock, "What are you guys talking about? He hates me!"  
  
"Yeah right. He so wants you," Ayame said while looking at her nails.  
  
"Ha ha! The doggie's got the hots for Kagome!" Sango cheered. The whole group (except Kagome) laughed out loud. Kagome now was in the verge of hysteria. Why were they doing this to her? She's got already problems with Wonder Dog. She doesn't need this too...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yesterday around 2 in the morning, Inuyasha was looking through papers and little sticky notes he has kept deep inside the deserted section of his walk-in closet. These pages contained poems, love stories, and haikus that he has written ever since 8th grade. And he proudly could say that this is the only thing that his family doesn't know about him. Not ever her own mother knew that he, her loudly obnoxious little son, became a dedicated and deep-minded poet and writer.  
  
My Gods. If Rin and Sesshoumaru ever found out about this, all hell would surely break lose and wreak havoc inside the mansion. And he most definitely knew that his own father would scold him pitifully.  
  
Inuyasha knew just how high his father's expectations were over his so- called future as an accountant. Inuyasha's fate and soul was sealed in an envelope, waiting to know where the written marks of the destination would lead to. Even though he felt no passion or eagerness in the ways of accounting, Inuyasha had no choice; he was going to be what his father desired.  
  
Whether he liked it or not.  
  
But you might be questioning yourself this: What is Inuyasha looking for exactly?  
  
Well, he was looking for this poem he submitted to a contest in Okayama. And for a ting of luck, his poem won first prize, and so made that poem his most sacred and most favorite poem ever.  
  
But still, why does he need the poem for? Good question.  
  
You see, Inuyasha met this girl just a few days ago, and this girl was unlike any girl he's ever seen or scented in his life. This girl wasn't the type of girl whom guys drooled over or begged her hand in marriage or anything of that sort. She was pretty reserved, and seemed to have a will of her own, and spoke her mind whenever she could. He doesn't really see this girl too often, but they life under the same roof, nonetheless.  
  
He found out this girl's name was Nazuna, and he really felt attached to her, like an aristocratic puppy chasing a female hound from the dumps. But even though he liked the girl as well as her presence, he was also embarrassed to hold such admiration and praise for her. She was a maid after all, wasn't she?  
  
He knew with all conscience that it was never going to work between them, but he just had to do something. He couldn't keep this secret anymore. It's only been a week and he was already plagued by this girl's blissful presence. He had to do something...  
  
He had to find that poem, fold it in fourths, and place it under her door. He didn't care if she found out it was him, but he'll be more than glad to write any poem for her at anytime. He smiled as he finally found that ancient piece of work. He immediately folded it and placed the poem on the bottom of the door, and strode slowly back to his room.  
  
"Okay," he mumbled to himself after putting the papers back in the box in the closet and settling himself on his bed to sleep. "Now all I've got to do is keep my mouth shut, and hope for the best."  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


	6. Chapter 6: Miroku's Apology

AN: Hey everyone! I finally updated! So sorry for the delay! And also for you eyes only, I typed down the ages of the characters in this fic *IN MY BIO*! So if you want to know how old everyone is, then click on my profile, and it'll be on top along with the title "The Maid".  
  
ENJOY! ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE MAID  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sango was up bright and early next morning as she cleaned herself from the shower and dressed herself in the same opaque uniform she has dreaded since the first day it came upon her palm's reach. She ate the hidden Pop-tart she had in her bag with ease as she went to her little refrigerator and reached out for a bottle of juice. She hummed a tune until she then heard the door knock at exactly 7:15 am.  
  
"Coming."  
  
Sango merrily stood up and put her hair in a ponytail. She checked herself to make sure she didn't look baggy-eyed or tired in any way possible; she had to give a good appearance when going to work. She heard the door knock again, and she rolled her eyes tiredly.  
  
"I said I'm coming," she said calmly. She put on her stockings and slipped on her tennis shoes as well as tie the strings. She stretched her arms and neck for a refresher, but the door knocked again. She exasperated with hands on her hips and pouted lips. She was reaching to open the door.  
  
"Ayame, couldn't you just wait until I-" But when she opened the door, she was facing the least expected person possible.  
  
It was Him...  
  
"Um, sorry, sir," Sango muttered shyly.  
  
"Just call me Miroku please," he said calmly. His gaze seemed to be showing some kind of remorseful shamefulness as his eyes dug deep into her orbs of grandness brown hue, and seemed to unintentionally suck the living soul out of her.  
  
"Of course," she said placing her hands together in front and nodding obediently at his request. She heard 'Miroku' sigh and clear his throat nerve-achingly.  
  
"I'm sorry if I interrupted anything important, but I just came here to apologize for my previous act of... stupidity, I guess we can say," he shrugged casually, his eyes looking down to the carpet just like Sango. "Please assure yourself that it won't happen again. Not only will Mr. Inutaisho make sure, but I myself will keep an eye on my own impulsiveness." Sango had her head down but her eyes slid up to meet his suddenly bashful face. He had his hands inside the pockets of his sweater, as he then looked back at her. "So do you forgive me?"  
  
His tone didn't seemed monotone like her other masters, but she was having second thoughts.  
  
"Please believe me. My intentions are honest and true." He then grabbed her hands and held them inside of his own loving grasp. She looked at his hands and then at his serene face. "Please don't doubt me. I'm truly very sorry."  
  
Sango was just so bewildered by these circumstances occurring. A rich guy was apologizing; to her! Not only is he rich but he's also a pervert! Why would he be apologizing to her? Perhaps he wasn't being truthful about it. It's most likely that he was doing it out of pity or out of obligation or dare. He couldn't be possibly be doing this because he wanted to.  
  
But even though she really felt like his words were a buttload of lies, she forgave him nonetheless. She could remember him bidding her farewell and descending down the steps to the living room. Sango really didn't know whether to believe him or to reject his honesty. But then,  
  
"Sorry I kept you waiting!" Ayame said stopping next to her, "I stained my skirt with toothpaste; so it took me a while to clean it off." Sango giggled at her messy friend.  
  
"It's cool," she said, "but still, you ready?" Ayame nodded with a grin.  
  
"I'm ready when you are, Sango-chan."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"He did what?!"  
  
The girls crowded around the table, listening to Sango as she explained what happened recently.  
  
"Yup, you heard me. He came to me and apologized, saying something about how his intentions were honest and true or what not. He told me not to doubt him, but even thought I didn't believe a word he was saying, I forgave him anyway. And he even held my hands for a nice touch. I was quite impressed of how good of an actor he was."  
  
"Maybe he's telling the truth," Koharu said, "was he monotone the whole time?" Sango shrugged.  
  
"Not really. He seemed kind of sincere, actually. But still I had second thoughts."  
  
"You always do," Kagome smirked, "which is why you haven't been kissed yet." They all chuckled at Sango's red cheeks.  
  
"Well, you haven't kissed either!" Sango retorted.  
  
"Yeah, that's true. But at least I don't whine about it every other hour like you do." Sango glared at the grin-faced girl, with the phrase "Fuck you" in the tip of her tongue. Kagome now laughed at her.  
  
"We love you anyways, Sango-chan," Kagome said and then mumbled.  
  
"Ha. Ha. Ha. So funny I forgot to pee my pants," Sango smirked.  
  
And as they laughed away their anger, Kohaku came into the room and sat quietly in his chair, his face pale just like yesterday and the day before. Sango kept on asking what was going on, but she never got a reply; just a panicked stare and a shake in the head. Musou leaned on towards him.  
  
"I insight the reason why Kohaku is so pale-faced and bored-like is because he seemed to have had a revelation declared to his senses," Musou spoke in a British accent, using a spoon as a telescoping hand device and imitating a really bad version of Sherlock Holmes. "Did anyone say anything to you by any chance, Kohaku-chan? That perhaps shocked you in any way?" But refusing to say a single word, Kohaku sat in silence.  
  
"Come on, dude! Say it already!" Nobunaga said leaning towards the table and at him. "What happened?!" Kohaku looked around at everyone, and all their eyes, all 22 of them, stinging at his very being for a simple answer.  
  
"Ok, fine! I'll speak!" Kohaku said in the midst of the cursed silence. "I'll tell you..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
He was walking out of his room, no worries or anxieties in his mind as he closed. He was on his way to turn right along the main hall, until he suddenly bumped into someone, this someone being one of least people he ever expected to bother in such a way.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lady Shiori! My deepest apologies!" Kohaku said bowing down and kneeling to gather his fallen belongings. He was picking up each thing with a fear and expectation to hear her scold and laugh at his miniscule inferiority. He was waiting for a very long time for this to happen. But ironically it never did. He heard something totally in the contrary to his expectations.  
  
"Oh please, don't worry about it," he heard her say, "it was my fault. Here, I'll help." He then saw her hands on the carpet, grabbing the miniscule objects from the ground and placing it in the bucket given to him for his duty. Kohaku looked at her hands as the things fell down, and then looked at her seldom and sincerely caring face. Her magenta eyes looked at his face, which she so expected in such interference.  
  
"You're probably wondering why a girl like me would be helping a lowly servant like you," she said. He only blinked in response. "I'm only helping you because I feel bad for you. I personally didn't like the idea of my best friend's family hiring maids. I think it's immoral and unethical." She pouted her shoulders a little noticing his face.  
  
"You don't have to be afraid of me. I don't bite," she mumbled, picking up another piece and placing it in the bucket. She just knelt there like himself and looked at him with a face he was very unaccustomed to. I mean think about it. The girl's always insulting Kohaku. He couldn't possibly believe that Shiori Batsuko was right in front talking to him.  
  
"Why... are you being so... nice to me?" Kohaku said, his voice so quiet that it could've been mistaken to be the wind from outside. But Shiori heard him, nonetheless, and solemnly sighed. She looked at the floor and then up at him.  
  
"Do you really want to know?" she whispered, "will you promise not to tell anyone?" She looked at him with a hopeful face, and was relieved to have a nod in reply. She gulped down her worries and spoke.  
  
"My father... was actually a servant too..." she said, "he always told me stories of his life back then, way before he even met my mom. The way he told everything made me cry when I was little, and it made me realize how wrong it was to discriminate and prejudice others. It made me be inside his shoes... And so I look at you and you remind me of him... and that's why every time you come in and Rin's room, I feel so guilty of myself."  
  
"But..." he said hesitantly, "...but why... why do you do what Rin does?" She bit her lip hard. There was mere silence for a moment or two.  
  
"...Because Rin's the only friend I have in this world," she confessed, "If I ever do something that she doesn't like or thinks it's stupid, she'd surely hate me and never speak to me again... and I don't want to lose her friendship. So if I have to make fun of you, then I will..."  
  
Kohaku grabbed his bucket, her declaration making him feel ever so guilty. Here was a girl who was perhaps twice as rich as he was, and she seemed to be so much unhappier than himself. He misjudged her before for being an inconsiderate little whore; but now he know her real colors, and he wished he'd never said what he said before.  
  
"I used to think that rich people... were the happiest people in the world... because they could do anything they want with what they had. But now... you're just totally confusing me with all this stuff you're telling me... and I don't know what's right..."  
  
Shiori looked at him and tried to sustain a tear to escape her eyes.  
  
"You're so wrong..." she whispered, "You have no idea how wrong you are..." Kohaku looked down.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
She was about to say something else, but she heard Rin calling for her. Shiori looked at him, her eyes shaking apologetically.  
  
"If your words were the truth, I would be the happiest girl alive... Money can't bring happiness... Money is evil; it brings everything named evil and dark into the word itself. It's like a stalker that will never leave you alone; it's always there and it will never go away, no matter how much you hate it. Promise me you won't forget?" Kohaku nodded at her.  
  
"Now, don't take me seriously, either. I've got to do what I've got to do..." she whispered. And for the first time she smiled at him, and he just blinked bewilderedly at her.  
  
"Shiori, what the hell are you doing there on the floor?" Rin asked. Shiori suddenly scoffed at Kohaku with a glare.  
  
"This stupid servant made me fall to the ground!" Shiori answered looking at him, "well, aren't you going to apologize, you numbskull?" Kohaku picked the remaining items, and apologized with a shy tone. Rin snickered.  
  
"What a dumbass. He looks like such a monkey," Rin laughed, "like those ones that dance in the streets for money!" Shiori stood up and laughed along.  
  
"He just needs the accordion music and he'd be perfect for the role!" Both girls laughed and left the servant to himself, his mind confused and twisted in so many knots. He stood up in shock and walked on to the meeting room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everyone sat there when he finished his tale, not only by the story itself but also because they've never heard Kohaku speak so much. Kohaku plummeted his head on the table and sighed deeply, trying to let out all the confusion and the memories escape away.  
  
"My god, brother. You poor thing..." and with that Sango leaned next to him and passed her hand though his head, like a master would to its kitty. She really felt bad for the guy, but she tried to humor him a little.  
  
"Kirara was right, it does suck to be you," she giggled and then kissed his head. Kohaku looked at her.  
  
"Thanks for rubbing it in, sis," Kohaku said sarcastically, "really appreciate it." Sango just sighed and let him go with a smile. Everyone grinned at them and looked at the door open.  
  
Then all the fun and torture was over when Lady Kumiko came into the room and announced that their meals were ready. They all went to the kitchen and sat down on the table, eating their French toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and blueberry muffins. Some drank milk and some drank orange juice. But all that mattered was that they wrapped it all up fifteen minutes later and they all left to work. Nothing much happened worthwhile, except for the same thing everyday. Until...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
At around 1:00 am, the girls gathered in Nazuna's room for yet another Huddle Club meeting. They eventually moved out, closed the door quietly, and tiptoed towards the room in the attic (or the 'The Pack Shack' as the girls called it). They climbed up the steps, and slowly opened to door. Then suddenly, they heard a noise from inside, like someone was in there.  
  
They all gasped quietly with pillows in hands, and Kagome requested to peek inside to glance at Shippou's bushy tail on the ground.  
  
"The fraternal branch of the Huddle Club is inside," Kagome whispered in declaration.  
  
"Why are they in there for? Are they watching anything?" Souten asked. Kagome peeked in deeper, and watched the TV screen to noticed that they were watching  
  
"A porn movie?!" Tsuyu whispered in outrage, "that's it, I'm going in!"  
  
Tsuyu slammed the door open and glared at the boys on the TV screen, glued at the naked female body before them. They didn't even notice that Tsuyu was in the room.  
  
"Nobunaga! What in heaven's name do you think you're doing?" she asked almost yelling. Nobunaga shushed her.  
  
"Shh! Go away, Tsuyu; he's finally going ana-" then, with widened eyes, he noticed just who it was he just told to shush. Tsuyu gave him the biggest glare his eyes have ever seen, and he couldn't handle but to laugh nervously.  
  
"Oh... hi, Tsuyu. Me and they guys were. just-"  
  
"Don't you 'Hi, Tsuyu' me, Nobunaga! You know better than to watch a porn movie with a bunch of 15-year-olds, especially when you have a girlfriend! You're such an asshole..." At this point couldn't hold anger anymore in her gentle heart, and bolted out of the room.  
  
"No, wait! Tsuyu, I can explain, really! Don't cry!" Nobunaga bolted out of the room and followed her not too far. Hiten stopped the movie with a face of disappointment, placing the movie in his case and standing up to leave.  
  
"You guys really are such party poopers," Hiten sighed. He then excused himself and left the room with another heavy sigh. Shippou and Musou were left in the room, not only embarrassed by the girls' presence but shocked by what they witnessed in the movie.  
  
"I never knew it was like that..." Shippou said almost in fear, "that was so whack, man..." Musou bobbed his head in agreement.  
  
"You so totally said it, brother," Musou agreed, looking at the girls to his right, "what're you guys here for anyway? You got something worth watching other than naked bodies and sweat?"  
  
"We got 'Finding Nemo'" said Koharu showing the DVD case in hand, "want to join us, you little pervs?" The boys agreed.  
  
So they watched the movie in merry amusement, and laughed the whole night, ironically noticing that not a single one of the rich bitches woke up to jeer at them. So eventually around 2:45, they all went back to bed, and knew that they were going to look like zombies in the morning. Kagome went to sleep knowing that her master was going to torture her, just like every other day so far. But she nonetheless wished for the best, and went to sleep with the thought in mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


	7. Chapter 7: Kagome Talks Back

~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE MAID  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Surprisingly in the morning, everyone woke up on time and ready to go for the next big day of work. They all went down, ate their breakfast, and got down to work. But today, quite a few things happened today of deep interest, especially between our friends Nazuna and Inuyasha. Now we both know these two have no idea that they like each other already, even if it has been only a week. Nazuna was originally told to clean Inuyasha's room and hall, and so she (like our dear Kagome) was burdened with his gazing and bossy ways.  
  
But unlike his brother, Inuyasha was actually nicer to his servants. But he's not so nice to the point that he'll offer to clean his room himself (like any other sane person should do). But he doesn't drop things on the floor on purpose or boss anyone around. He'd mostly just sit in his room and listen to music, sleep, write notes for class (or more like write poems for Nazuna), and even sit on the floor and stare at the ceiling This is what was currently occurring at around 10:30 am that day.  
  
Nazuna came in as always, and plugged in the vacuum to the outlet. She unrolled the wire and got down to business. She was vacuuming under his desk, under the bed, in the closet, the hallway, and eventually she turned behind the bed to find him on the ground looking plainly at the ceiling. She at first looked at him with a waiting stare shooting at him, but she lost her patience eventually and turned off the vacuum.  
  
"Excuse me, sir? Could you perhaps move out of the way so I can pass through?" Nazuna asked. She then noticed that he didn't even budge his eyes at her because he was listening to music the whole time she spoke. She knelt down next to him and tapped in the shoulder. She suddenly squealed when he jumped on top of her and was about to strike her with his claws. But then he blinked his eyes and noticed just who it was he was looking at. He was at first concerned for her, but then his cockiness accumulated his senses and stood up immediately.  
  
"Did I ever give you permission to touch me?" he asked with crossed arms. Nazuna sat up and shook her head in response.  
  
"Then why did you?" he asked. Nazuna stood up and sighed.  
  
"Because I asked you to move out of the way and you didn't," she said. Inuyasha scoffed.  
  
"Heh. Yeah well, just make sure you don't do that again. Got it?" he said.  
  
"Yes, sir," she nodded.  
  
"Now continue working," he said, standing up and laying down on the other side of the floor. Nazuna looked at him, and raised a brow as she did what she was told. She couldn't even understand what she did to deserve to clean for a guy who sleeps on the floor instead of a bed. But at least she was getting paid, so it doesn't really matter anyway.  
  
She eventually finished his room and was now working on the library. The family had a huge library on the main floor, which would kind of remind you of the library in the movie "Beauty and the Beast". But obviously it wasn't so many books; the ceiling only stood around 25 feet from the ground. Each member of the family (even Toutousai) had a section in there that contained their favorite books. Nazuna, obviously, was working on Inuyasha's section. All she had to do is organize the books in alphabetical order, from top to bottom. So she got on the little sliding ladder and began to alphabetize.  
  
She heard Inuyasha enter the library around 12:15, and he sat on the chair in the middle of the room, staring at her as she took out each book and placed it in its right place. Inuyasha got a perfect view of her back and behind, those seldom-seen perverted thoughts coming to him. But he shook his head and looked at her again, and noticed she was doing something wrong (according to him).  
  
"Hey! Be careful with those books! They're really old!" Inuyasha demanded standing next to her on the ladder. She looked up to her work and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. I'll promise to be gentler," Nazuna said apologetically, even if all she wanted to do was punch him hard in the face.  
  
"You better be sorry!" he scolded. But then Nazuna was reaching high for a book she needed, and her foot slipped out of the step. She tried to hold her balance, but she slipped again and began to fall! She squealed in fear as she expected the carpet for her cursed impact, praying that she doesn't get hurt. But instead, she opened her eyes to be facing her master, holding her in his arms bridal style and looking at her not with a face of anger or annoyance, but of sweet and caring serenity. She was still panting from before as she noticed she clutched his shirt with much grip. She looked at her grip and then at him, his entire being and self changed to something ironically good.  
  
Inuyasha's cockiness seemed to have vanished away now, because no one could understand how worried he was of her. If he didn't stand there where she was, she would've surely gotten wounded. And if that actually happened, not only would he get in trouble with his parents but he would've never forgiven himself for allowing it to happen. He was relieved to know that she wasn't hurt.  
  
"Are you OK?" he asked her calmly. Nazuna kept on looking at his prince- like gaze as he held her in his arms like that. She gulped quietly and nodded.  
  
"Mm-hmm... I'm fine," she said quietly.  
  
"That's good," he responded. He didn't know what else to say to her, because he was so captured in her eyes. Nazuna at the beginning of working hated demons and even half-breeds if possible. She was always jeered at by both when she was little, and so has had hated them since. But this guy, her master, was a half-breed, and she, right now in this very moment, actually liked him. She never knew how yellow his eyes really were until now, and she could tell that those ears of his weren't fake; they were really his ears. And so this kept on for a few seconds, until Nazuna cleared her throat shyly.  
  
"Um, sir? Can you... let me down now, please?"  
  
Inuyasha woke up for Nazuna-land (the non-perverted way), and let her down with slight diziness. They both stood there and went back to the way like before.  
  
"Well, you just finish there quickly. You got the study next." And as he turned his back on her and left, Nazuna seemed to have weakened more than before. It was as if her very strength was sucked into his eyes, his gaze. They had such an impact and force on her that she could barely climb up the ladder again. But she had to, nonetheless. She just had to. She could never forget the day her parents died in that car crash 10 years ago, and the day when she found out her grandpa abandoned her and made her an orphan. She could never forget the day she declared the world that she was going to make something of herself, that she was going to let no youkai or hanyou stand in her way.  
  
Automatically now she made Inuyasha an interference. That half-breed was making her weak, and this was something extremely unnecessary and unforgivable. So with all her strength she climbed up those steps again, and worked on, her mind willing to continue on. Not for herself, but for her past and her future...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
But again we come back with out dear and lovely Kagome, who was ironing her master Sesshoumaru's shirts, as he (like always) looked at her with a persistent gaze. He was lying on his bed working on his homework, and every other problem he finished he'd stared at her while working. He loved torturing her like this. He knew she hated it when he looked at her, or when he demanded such a miniscule thing such as a wrinkle burden her work with even more anxiety. He knew she wasn't perfect, and rubbing in that fact right in her face made his lips smirk evilly.  
  
But as she worked on ironing as calmly as she could, she would shake the shirt and place it in the hanger inside his closet. She would repeat this process for almost 2 hours straight, her eyes tempted to look into his, but unwilling and yet relieved at the same time. Throughout the week, she started to somehow become addicted to his eyes. It was such a strange emotion for her, for how can be occurring? How can a person be addicted to a pair of disgusting ugly, god-like, shining, perfect, praising, and beautiful yellow eyes? She couldn't find an answer to any of these questions.  
  
But all she knew was that in order to move on with the rest of the day, she had to at least gaze at him for 10 seconds. Any less and she'd fall asleep before noon; anymore and she'd fall asleep after sunrise the next day. Either way she was doomed. And if she didn't look at him at all, then she didn't know what she'd do. Something ludicrous or insane, perhaps. But back to ironing shirts...  
  
"Oh shit!" she thought to herself as she was awoken in reality. She looked at the hole-burned shirt with smoke all around, and she knew she was in deep trouble now... She then felt someone pull her by the arms and push her quite harshly on the wall, her eyes meeting the one who caused the slight pain on her back to get worse than yesterday.  
  
"That was my favorite shirt you just burnt, you wench," he said coldly, "why don't you try using that so-called brain you were born with and stop daydreaming for once in your penniless life?" Sesshoumaru looked at the at servants eyes shining with tears begging to come out, and she panted calmly in fear as to what his next move was going to be. He pushed her to the ground, and glared at her broken self.  
  
"How sad it is to be you, human," he said, "too weak to fight and too scared to speak." She was so mad at him, so mad for making her feel this way. She was never so dark or hating in her life, until this man came to her life, and began wreaking havoc in her heart and destroying her true being. She didn't want to shut up anymore... She had to say something.  
  
"Do you really have nothing to say of this?" he said coldly, turning away from her and stepping away.  
  
"Yes, actually I do," she responded. Sesshoumaru didn't expect this to occur and thus he turned back to her, and met her eyes again. Those cursed eyes of hers...  
  
"I have to something to say, and you're going to listen to me and listen closely... don't you dare think that I'm a weakling, you dog. I'm not a weakling. I've been through a lot more crap in my life than you'll ever experience in your lifetime. Don't you dare treat me like something that you throw around and scold upon; I'm a live being, just like you. And if you don't want to believe, then you know what? Don't. Live in denial for all I care. I got more important things to do than to stand around and be pushed a taiyoukai who think he's all that and what not..."  
  
She stood up and grabbed her things, turning off the iron and unplugging the vacuum. She walked past him without shame or fear, and stopped immediately.  
  
"I know you've been looking at me for the past week because you know I hate it. So go ahead and continue on if you'd like," she said looking at him with what seemed like a glare, " and you can beat me up however you want when I leave as well, but that only means that I'll despise you even more than I do now." And with one turn of her head, she left the room in reluctance and ironic victory. Sesshoumaru was in the verge of grabbing Toukijin and use it with means to kill the cursed maid. She outright insulted him, and he allowed that to happen!  
  
She did something that he didn't order, and this actually... made him feel good! Sesshoumaru found out about this seldom thought of kindness, and he gripped his hair in between his fingers. He sat on the ground Indian style and groaned in confusion.  
  
"Hey, another lovely rendez-vous with the maid, I bet?" his conscience asked sarcastically.  
  
"Don't you dare even start with me!" Sesshoumaru said in anger.  
  
"Why can't you ever be nice to her? She's done nothing to offend you," said Conscience.  
  
"She's made me want her! Do you know how disgusting that is? Her damn beauty is taking me all over, and it's her entire fault!" Sesshoumaru scolded.  
  
"You're the one who wants her. It's not her fault; it's your fault."  
  
"How can you say that!"  
  
"You have the option to not like her and like her. You chose to like her and so now you do!"  
  
"The problem is that I don't want to like her!"  
  
"Why? Because your father won't approve? Because you want to marry someone who will give you more money than what you have instead of love?"  
  
"No! You're wrong! I can't like her! It's not possible!"  
  
"Yeah, you're right. It's not possible. It's actually genetic."  
  
"... Please tell me you're gone now..."  
  
"Uh. Nope, still here, Sesshy!" laughed his conscience. Sesshoumaru sighed deeply, his forehead on the floor now.  
  
"My life really sucks, doesn't it?" he asked.  
  
"You're the one who makes it that way. So yea, I guess it does!" He sighed again.  
  
"What should I do? I'm really so lost. She even told me she hates me..."  
  
"Oooh, so that's why you're so gloomy? Because she hates you? Well, the only way to make her like you more is by being kind. Show her you're not a despicable dog. Prove to her that you really do have some kind of goodness in you."  
  
"But she'll think I'm crazy or something," Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"I think you're crazy, and I'm your own conscience!" it said, "don't worry about it. You don't even have to speak. Just don't say or do anything and she'll start having second thoughts of you sooner or later."  
  
"I'm not listening to you. You're starting to sound like my high school guidance counselor," Sesshoumaru said, "I'm not going to bother and change. It won't prove anything, anyways. So I'm going to bed now."  
  
"Oh yeah, way to be proud and courageous, Sesshoumaru! Just go sleep and give up!" said his conscience.  
  
"Thanks, you too. Good night."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm so scared right now, you guys! What if he does come and get me? What will I do?" Kagome sat in her bed while Sango and Koharu sat down along to try and calm her down a little.  
  
"Nothing's going to happen, Kagome. I'm actually glad you stood up for yourself and showed that creep of your mind," Sango said hugging her shoulder friendlily.  
  
"Yeah, Kagome-chan. If I were you back there, I'd be pooping my panties in fear right then and there." Koharu said. Shippou passed by and said "Stop lying, Koharu-chan! Everyone knows that you don't really poop in the bathroom! You actually masterba-"  
  
"You better take that back, you stupid kitsune!" And immediately Koharu left the room and chased Shippou around the hallways. Kagome and Sango giggled at the two, and stood up.  
  
"Sorry I couldn't do much for you, but are you better now?" Sango asked. Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and tightened up her ponytail and apron. She looked at Sango with a radiant smile and nodded at her friend. She really did have nothing to worry about, and she fully knew that the rest the day was going to be fine. 


	8. Chapter 8: The Voice Within

AN: Woo-hoo! 131 reviews! For me, that's pretty awesome! ^_^ I've never gotten so much praise; thank you all so much! Your replies to your reviews are at the end of the fic.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE MAID  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A few days passed by and like Sesshoumaru promised himself, he didn't bother to change; he stayed the same old annoying dog Kagome knew ever so well. She still had to hold the same insults, commands, yells, growls, glares, and the same cursed orbs of golden sunshine. Every time she stepped inside that room, those and more are the things she had to go through everyday for these past 2 weeks.  
  
She'd go each day to her room with her forehead beading with sweat. She never knew why this happened. She would be perfectly fine when she would stand in his room. But when she leaves, she passes her palms through her face only to see her hands wet from her own sweat. She would ask herself why this would happen to her so much, and every time she could find no answer and thus sadly sighed.  
  
But oh well. It's time to get to work again. She already ate breakfast, and was prepared to get ready to clean His room around 10:45 am. She tied her shoes, ponytail, and apron; now she was on her way.  
  
She arrived in his room to notice with relief that he wasn't in at the moment. Oh, what sheer gladness she felt. She glided inside the room with a slight tinge of freedom in her step, and started to fix the room with a slight bounce in her ego. It was the first time in weeks that she cleaned the room without His presence, and she felt glee all around her. She would tiptoe around the room like a dancer and place everything where it belonged. Melodies circled around her head, and everything but reality gripped into her mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru was on his way to his room as he returned from the kitchen. He was doing great and dandy up until he heard something from his room. He lied against the wall, and checked his watch. He groaned and noticed that it was clean-up time. She was in there, wasn't she? His earshot stretched on inside, and he heard something he'd never expect to encounter: singing...  
  
"Young girl don't cry  
  
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall  
  
Young girl it's alright  
  
Your tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly  
  
When you're safe inside your room you tend to dream  
  
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems  
  
No one ever wants to bother to explain  
  
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
  
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within  
  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
  
You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."  
  
Sesshoumaru was wrapped around in the ropes of her delicates dancing and her sweet voice. His eyes could not glue away from hers and his throat was unsure of what to speak or say. He was lost inside of her...  
  
"Young girl don't hide  
  
You'll never change if you just run away  
  
Young girl just hold tight  
  
Soon you're gonna see your brighter day  
  
"Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed  
  
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid  
  
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold  
  
When you look outside look inside to your soul  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
  
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within  
  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
  
You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."  
  
He then heard her sing with such a voice of passion that he supposed her imagination was taking over the soul of a long dead legend. Her mind took over her senses and he noticed the maid he knew before was long gone. There was now this diva dressed in a uniform that did not match her capacity. She was definitely no maid...  
  
"Life is a journey  
  
It can take you anywhere you choose to go  
  
As long as you're learning  
  
You'll find all you'll ever need to know  
  
You'll break it...  
  
You'll make it...  
  
Just don't forsake it because  
  
No one can tell you what you can't do  
  
No one can stop you, you know that I'm talking you...  
  
When there's no one else, look inside yourself  
  
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within  
  
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way  
  
You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."  
  
Sesshomaru in the verge to just call out a praise or two at the blooming diva standing in his room with broom in hand. She was not even aware he was there, was she not? She just sang on with not a care in her mind...  
  
"You girl don't cry  
  
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall..."  
  
She was just about to high-note her way to a magnificent finale, but she then heard the bucket fall to the floor. She was suddenly swept back to a world she wished she never encountered. She was back to being just a dull maid. She wasn't standing in that red-carpet she wished to step upon. She wasn't at that shrine she wished to live in, and most painfully, she wasn't in the home she wished to be in ever so much...  
  
Kagome heard someone clear their throat, and she turned to the voice with a look of guilt, fear, and insecurity facing towards her master. He was relaxing his arm on the door frame, his arms crossed on top on his torso, and his eyes facing towards her. Kagome was going to say something, but he did not speak...  
  
Kagome gripped the broom in her hand and triggered him an eye of bewilderment and irritation. Even though she dared not speak either, they just stared at each other.  
  
Without any choice, she continued with her work. She ironed his shirts with a much emptier agony in her back. She felt no burdens and no anxieties like before. She looked over at him, and looked at his eyes deeply concentrated on his college work. He seemed to have not a single tinge of interest in her. It was as if he was actually ignoring her! Obviously, you would be thinking that Kagome would be relived and beaming with joy by the discovery. But you know what?  
  
She was furious! Yes, you read me correctly. Furious!  
  
Why wasn't he paying attention to her like before? Why was it that he suddenly lost interest in his own maid? How dare he! Kagome noticed that she hasn't burnt any shirts like other previous moments in the past. Thankfully, it was only once she has done so.  
  
Kagome didn't speak a word as he looked at her. She wasn't scared with the fact that she looked at him, but she hated the way he was looking at her.  
  
He wasn't glaring at her! No trace of anger! No trace of bitterness! No nothing!  
  
"Oh my God..." she thought, "What... the hell... is going... on?"  
  
He then turned away from her, and continued on with his work. He suddenly noticed that she has had three strikes so far: 1) grabbing his sketchbook without permission, 2) burning his favorite shirt, and 3) preaching her sermon to him without his consent. No one except him knew about it. If he reported this to Toutousai, she would surely be out of this mansion for good. But somehow he has refused to do so. He did not want to bother to say anything to anyone. It was either caused by laziness, or because he didn't want her to leave.  
  
But like any other taiyoukai living in denial, he surely picked laziness... [But we all really know why, right? 6_^]  
  
Eventually, she finished her mission and placed her utensils in her bucket and left the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshomaru was so relieved when he heard that cursed door close. He immediately moved away all his work and plummeted his forehead on the desk with groan escaping his throat.  
  
"See, Sesshoumaru! You did it! I told you it wasn't going to be that bad!" said his conscience. But Sesshoumaru had other things in his mind other than his triumphant success with silence.  
  
"Did you hear her voice?" he whispered, "did you hear it?"  
  
"Uh... oh yeah! She's definitely Star Search material, isn't she?" Sesshomaru nodded slowly with eyes on the carpet as always when he was in deep thought.  
  
"She has awesome pipes," he said slowly, "she could get in record deal in this country if she tried."  
  
"If you say so..." said his conscience, "if I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're actually beginning to like this girl not only for her beauty but for talents. Now that's something called admiration. A little too big, if you ask me." Sesshomaru scoffed a smirk as he stood up and lied on his bed with a pillow in his face.  
  
"Heh. Is it that obvious?" he muffled sarcastically.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hm. Oh well. It's not like she'll ever really succeed any fame. She's just a maid, right?" Sesshoumaru asked in weary.  
  
"Oy, vay... Still in denial, are we? But I'm your conscience, and I have to say that you really do like her. I don't care if you live in denial. Deep inside you like that Kagome girl."  
  
"Hey! How did you know her name?" asked the youkai.  
  
"Oh my god... Sesshoumaru, I'm your conscience! I know everything that goes through your mind!"  
  
"Oh yea, dammit, I remember now..." Sesshoumaru exclaimed, "I'm really tired... I'm going to bed now."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just when you're about to break the dam to your emotions, you always go to bed. Way to be, Sesshy!"  
  
"Uh, can't you see I'm trying to sleep here?" he asked. That voice in his mind sighed hopelessly.  
  
"Okay... whatever..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She left the room with sudden confusion and anger in her features. She noted that not a single word escaped from his mouth. Not even a sigh! Kagome closed the door to her room and she looked out the window towards the chirping birds and the shining rays of the sun. Today was a beautiful day, and she could not even get out of the house and enjoy it. She could not even open her window in case that none of the servants ran away from the house.  
  
She wished to be in that shrine right now, sitting on the steps overlooking Tokyo with her littler brother Souta annoying her like always. A smile would curve in her lips as thoughts like these roamed around her imagination. But immediately she would look at her surroundings only to discover that her thoughts were mere illusions...  
  
She knew her master heard her sing, but she feared the worst the next time she came into the room. This ignorance of his made her insides boil with not only rage but with confusion. He didn't insult her at all throughout her time in there. He didn't even dare insult her like he used to. She at least saw to yellow orbs once, so she supposed that today was not that bad. She looked at the clock as it stroke noon, which meant  
  
"Lunch time, everyone! Get your butts out of those rooms and let's go dig in!"  
  
She laughed as Shippou came into everyone's room and scampered about inside yelling "Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time!" over and over. Kagome finished her lunch with satisfied stomach, and a relieved unburdened back. Sesshomaru, as always, loved the food the maids put together, especially the ramen his maid cooked.  
  
The night came along and the girls went this time to Kagome's room for that night's official Huddle Club meeting, and all the girls gasped with amazement at the story told before them.  
  
"He didn't glare at you?" Sango asked Kagome.  
  
"But that's impossible! How can he not glare at you?" Ayame asked. Kagome shrugged at the red-head.  
  
"I'm as clueless as you are. He didn't speak to me either!"  
  
"Not even a command?" Koharu.  
  
"Not even an insult, Koharu-chan," Kagome answered. Souten was shaking her head towards the storyteller.  
  
"That's just so weird, Kagome-chan. One day he's all rude and conceited to you, and then the next minute he's mute... He must definitely be a crack head..."  
  
"What!" Kagome exclaimed, "I've never seen him smoke in my life! No, he couldn't have been high. I refuse to believe that, Souten-chan!"  
  
"But wait. Did he hear you sing?" Nazuna asked. Kagome looked glanced a round and sighed.  
  
"I don't know," she said, "but if he did, I'm toast."  
  
"Oh well, it's time to go. We'll console Kagome-chan's poor heart later on tomorrow."  
  
Everyone giggled at Kagome's pouted face, and left the room with hugs and embraces before she closed the door. The girl was finally alone, and she turned off the light in her room with an immeasurable worry upon her heart. She didn't want to go again into his room if he was so blank-faced and mute the entire time. She didn't want to handle the silence in the room. She would most rather see him glaring at her rather than doing him homework and ignoring her.  
  
"Maybe he'll be back to normal tomorrow..." Kagome thought, "let's just pray so..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 8 is done! Hope you liked it! ^_^ I'll update as soon as I get 5+ reviews. Please tell me your thoughts and comments on the story.  
  
Peace out, minna-san! ^_^v  
  
~*~ Ruu-chan 


	9. Chapter 9: Eye Candy & Midnight Snacks

AN: I'm back! I know, I know: I haven't updated in forever! But after a great Christmas Break, I finally introduce you to Chapter 9! ^_^ Again, thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciate the support and kindness *hugs all my reviewers* I love you all so much! ^_^ And sorry for the delay! ^^;;  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE MAID: CHAPTER 9  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next day rose in the midst of a sunny morning. Everyone woke up again bright and early in the wait for the day that was about to come. Breakfast was a mere delight and the dessert was just too perfect to be existent.  
  
Miroku woke up around noon to only notice that he missed breakfast... again... [Poor guy.]  
  
He showered, brushed up his hygiene, and walked out the door with a plea of food in his mind. He went down and greeted the family with his usual mumble of "Hey, y'all..."  
  
Everyone would greet him sweetly and then he went to the library and tried to concentrate on the English report he supposedly had to work on during summer. He kept looking for ideas to write about, but his mind was truly empty of any notions or wisdom.  
  
So finally noticing that this was totally useless, Miroku closed that cursed 1,000-paged literature book and decided to look out the window for relaxation. But immediately when he laid eyes downward, he saw this faerie- like beauty walking lively towards the garden and watering the plants with a child-like grin in her face.  
  
His eyes squinted as he looked at the young girl's hair tumble down whenever she bent down and pulled a weed or two. He looked at her brown eyes as she strained with might and her gentle hands pulled out the cursed little things with an almost arousing mercilessness. Miroku looked on down Sango's figure, he too proud to admit that she was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was almost as if she wasn't a maid at all. It was impossible...  
  
She was something out of this world. She just had to be...  
  
Such a beautiful girl with an almost luminous presence in her face. Nonetheless, there she was pulling weeds like an old hag. But she wasn't even frowning. Not a single intimidation of annoyance or irritation! It almost seemed as if she actually enjoyed doing this!  
  
He fastened his ponytail and licked his dry lips with a very shallow heart in his chest. He didn't want to admit that he was attracted to the maid. He couldn't stand the fact that he fell for her... He never thought this would happen. I mean, sure he groped the girl and apologized afterwards. But if he confesses this unconditional love, will she cower away from him? Will she do something ungodly?  
  
He kept looking at her face as she rose and allowed the sunshine to brighten her face. She slowly opened her eyes as she looked towards Mr. Inutaisho's property; acres of grass, trees, and flowers spread on for miles on end. She put her hair behind her ear and sighed deeply, as she let strands of her hair flow on and following that wind's path. She shook her head and wiped away the sweat on her forehead.  
  
She saw the flowers leaning towards the wind's current. She bent down to smell them and sighed as she let the aroma enter her lungs with utmost delight. The wind blew her hair around and about, making her seem holy.  
  
Miroku now stood behind a tree as he looked at Sango breathing in the scent of flowers beholding her. He was captivated in the moment, wishing that this feeling he burndened would go away soon. But then as he kept looking at her, he saw her suspicious eyes find his. She trailed her glance upon his face as the trees added the effect that he was perhaps a man that traveled from afar with a message to give in his hand.  
  
She looked at him as he stood there with his jeans and his black polo shirt. His feet were bare, and his eyes pressed on towards hers. She couldn't help but widen her eyes with fear and stand up tall and obedient- like.  
  
Sango noticed then confused gaze he pressed towards her as she again bent down and grabbed her work utensils in the bucket. She slowly stood up again as her eyes were stuck on his with an almost addicting sense of craze.  
  
Miroku stood there under the shadow of the leaves, watching Sango closely as she walked away from the garden with eyes on him. He knew she was scared out of her wits. He knew that she was just at the verge of going crazy, just like himself. She didn't run away; she kept on walking. He moved around the tree to keep his eyes on hers. Her angelic footsteps made his senses bounce around like sparking atoms.  
  
She arrived at the door to go inside and she just stopped... She couldn't see why in hell's name was happening. Why was her master outside looking at her behind a tree? Last time she checked, this was something called 'illegal' and or 'forbidden'.  
  
This wasn't allowed...  
  
They could get in trouble, she could lose her job, and her father wouldn't have the money to pay the medical bills... He could even die of the cursed leukemia... but she couldn't allow that to happen. This had to stop now.  
  
She turned her head away from him, and left the poor guy alone in the presence of his own confusion. My god, what was he going to do? He deeply sighed as he crumbled upon the ground, as if he had just been shot with a made-up bullet of evil.  
  
He didn't want to admit it, but he knew it was wrong if he didn't. This girl had been in his mind ever since he saw her.  
  
He loved the girl... no matter if it hurt him inside. He loved her, and his humanity was paying the price...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Around 1:00 am at night, Kohaku woke up without sleep and decided to jump into the shower for a few minutes. He washed his hair, his face, and cleaned all the dust off his hands, arms, and the rest of his body.  
  
The bathroom was steamed up, and fogginess was all that captured his eyes. He turned off the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist.  
  
He dried himself up and put on his usual boxers and white shirt. His hair was soaking wet and loose around his face. He brushed his teeth and came out to find the surprise of life...  
  
"Hey, there."  
  
Kohaku immediately froze when he saw a stunning figure sitting on his bed with a smile in her face and a lust in her eyes. The young girl looked up and down at her prey and smirked at him with her hands leaning towards the bed and her legs crossed.  
  
"I'm quite a shocker, aren't I?" Rin asked as she stood up in her thin- strap dress while her hair plumped heavily under her shoulders. She walked towards him like a tigress, and he backed away with fear filled in his façade.  
  
"Why are you so scared?" She closed in on him and began caressing his face, her fingers sending nerves of ache of surprise and passion through his body. "Don't be scared, Kohaku-sama. I'm not leaving you just yet..."  
  
Her face was closing in on his by the second, and all Kohaku could do was just allow her to touch his chest and caress his arms. He could admit to us any day that he wasn't enjoying this at all, but he couldn't do anything in fear that he might get fired.  
  
"P-please don't d-do this," he pleaded nervously as her fingers started reaching for his boxers' straps. "I don't want any p-problems to occur, ma'am..."  
  
Rin giggled as she saw the freckled-faced boy stutter. He was such a handsome little thing, and she finally had him where she wanted. And as a bonus, he was in his boxers and shirt. At least it saved her the hassle and work...  
  
"I know that, silly," she whispered, "that's why you're going to hush up... and do as I say..." Kohaku didn't want to do this. Sure it was true that she was beautiful and rich, but she just wasn't that girl he was eyeing on. She was too flirtatious and she wore way too much pink. He was still having nightmares each day he came out of her room folding her pink tank tops and her pink halter tops and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.  
  
"I've been keeping my eye on you for quite sometime, boy," Rin smiled, "and each time I glance at you, you make me go nuts..."  
  
Kohaku couldn't resist but to sweat. Because think about it: a crazy girl is on top of you wearing a thong and trying to reach inside your boxers and shirt. And what was worst was that this girl was the one that fired him or not. So if he resisted, he'd get fired; but if he went along, he'd still get fired anyway.  
  
So he was now in a very nasty knot... And just when she lied on top of him, her lips were so close to his that he could smell her perfume all over the air.  
  
"Why are you so scared of me, Kohaku-sama?" Rin asked softly, "am I really that scary-looking?" She passed her hands through his broad shoulders, his hands shaking with fear as her eyes closed in on his. Her forehead rested against his, and she leaned more and more to his face...  
  
And before they knew it, their lips were pressed. They were officially kissing, and Kohaku was now confused of what to feel: happiness and joy or freakiness and anxiety?  
  
He felt her tongue enter his mouth, and her hands caressing his stomach and chest. Immediately by impulse, Kohaku interrupted the moment, and grabbed her arms with a fragile grasp in his hands. He was out of breath after he tried to stand up. The young girl looked at him confusedly, as if it was originally Kohaku who asked her to kiss him.  
  
"I don't want any problems," Kohaku said, "please leave now. This isn't right..." Kohaku walked towards the door and opened it for her, a fear and desperation for her departure in his eyes.  
  
A servant? Telling her to leave a room inside her own home?! Who did he think he was, bossing her around like this? She was Rin! She was the boss!  
  
NOT HIM!  
  
But nonetheless, she decided to bottle up her anger for now, because she didn't want to bring him to hell just yet. She then rose up from the bed and inhaled deeply with her fists tight.  
  
She stopped in front of him and tapped his chest with her finger, looking at him with a menacing gaze.  
  
"You'll regret doing this, bitch," she hissed at him, "you just 'til tomorrow. It's not going to be pretty..."  
  
The last thing Kohaku remembered was hearing the door slam and feeling his knees weaken. He was now in deep doo, wasn't he? He knew now that tonight was his last night at the mansion. He was surely going to get fired...  
  
He just knew it...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was finally night time, and Inuyasha wasn't able to get any sleep. He went to the kitchen to get something to drink only to find someone in there before him. He opened the fridge and the light showed his maid sitting on the chair near the 7'x9' French window. Nazuna was looking at him with a sudden surge of fright traced around her face. Inuyasha looked at his crush while he blushed trivially.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked her. Nazuna put down her ham sandwich and straightened herself out.  
  
"I was hungry and so I couldn't sleep, sir," she stated, "I'll go now if you wish." She was about to stand but he raised his hand.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Take your time." And after closing the fridge, he sat on the counter with a bottle of beer in hand. She wondered why this man was suddenly being so nice to her. She was positive that he would at least push her out of the room or yell at her for her stupidity. But he did neither; he let her stay where she was...  
  
As he chugged down his first gulp of beer, she looked at him with her sandwich in hand. In an instant, he put the finished bottle down and looked at her. Inuyasha looked at the girl as the window allowed the moon to shine down her head and face. Even in the dark she looked beautiful...  
  
"What are you looking at?" Inuyasha growled. Nazuna bit another bite of her sandwich with eyes all tangled inside the shine of his own.  
  
"Nothing, sir..." she said shyly. And as the hands in the clock moved, the young girl could see that there now stood 4 bottles of beer on the counter. She was finally hurrying up with her sandwich as she saw the young hanyou stand with a bit of difficulty. She was on her feet as she decided to turn on the light on top of the sink and wash her hands very quickly.  
  
But she suddenly felt a pair of cold hands caress her hips and her waist. His hands were that way by the number of beer bottles he drank. He touched her with a touch more gentle than any feather she ever plucked. She shivered with surprise as she closed her eyes and felt her hands turn off the sink with a slight shake.  
  
"What are you doing, Nazuna?" she heard her master ask. Her mouth hung open and she was hoping to speak out something, anything...  
  
"I...I-I don't know..." she said softly, slowly getting dragged into this unknown world of unexpected bliss. She didn't know what was up with her, why she was actually feeling excited about this. Her master was most likely drunk by now, and she felt no fear over this; at all!  
  
"I hope you don't mind if I do this," he whispered to her ear softly, "but you have to understand that I can't resist anymore..."  
  
From there, he flipped her around and faced her towards him, a sexy smirk upon his face and a finger stroking her cheek. Her eyes couldn't stick away from his. He was pulling her in deeper, and the worst thing was that he didn't even know it...  
  
"Master I-" The handsome hanyou hushed her with his finger and his other hand reached for the light which he turned off. They both stood in the dark as the moonlight shined across their faces. His face was coming closer and closer to hers, as she inhaled in his breath of alcohol.  
  
"Just go with the flow, girl," he whispered quietly. He came closer to her and more than willing and prepared to give her the kiss of her life. But just when things were about to start, Nazuna touched his arms and pushed him away slightly. She saw the guy look at her confusedly.  
  
"I'm sorry, master," she apologized, "I'm going to bed..." He watched her leave the room after a bid good night. But the funny thing was that he didn't stop her... He let her got without any complaints.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yay! That's Chapter 9, y'all! ^_^ I hope you liked it. Sorry it was so long, but I've been so late on this that I hope this made up for my absence! ^^;; Kagome and Sesshoumaru's moment won't come until the next two chapters since they ARE the main couple. And like always, I need 5+ reviews or I won't update Chapter 10! And I promise this: the story's going to get better; I swear!  
  
So just stay tuned around for more!  
  
Peace out, minna-san! ^_^v  
  
~*~ Ruu-chan 


	10. Chapter 10: Guess who's back?

AN: Hey! Thank you for all your reviews, everyone! ^_^ And about my updates, I promise not to update the chapter more than once. I'm really sorry about the annoyance! Forgive me too for my delay! I got so much stuff to do and I had the worst writer's block .* But still, here's Chapter 10!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The MAID  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lady Kumiko sat on her office overlooking her stack of papers and reassuring herself that paying bills was worse than the devil himself. But her track of thought was broken by the sudden thumps of steps from the ceiling. She looked up and twitched her brows intellectually.  
  
"Here he comes," she mumbled.  
  
The thumps led down to the stairs and became louder and louder as they approached. The door flung open to reveal an irritated glare-faced Sesshoumaru standing with an immense impatience and outrage.  
  
"What's going on! Where is she?!" he yelled, "she was supposed to have cleaned my room by now! How come it's still dirty?!..."  
  
If Lady Kumiko didn't tune out right about then, she would've been listening to her stepson aimlessly complain over his so-called pet peeves.  
  
"Sesshoumaru?" she asked softly. Her eyes looked at his as he shut up and sat down on the chair across from her with narrow eyes.  
  
"I decided to take the maids shopping this week," she said plainly. Sesshoumaru raised a brow while trying to hold in the rage inside his throat.  
  
"What...? Shopping...?" he reiterated, "Why in the seven hells would you want to take the maids shopping?" When he asked the question, the woman put down her papers and looked at him dumb-founded.  
  
"Do you not know about our anniversary, Sesshoumaru?" she asked slightly angered, "we told you it's in 2 days!" Sesshoumaru shrugged.  
  
"So? It's not like you're inviting the servants," he said, "...are you?" Lady Kumiko rubbed her temple.  
  
"Oh, Sesshoumaru. Why do you even ask that question? You know I always invite everyone in the household, including the servants."  
  
"But the thing I ask is why? It's not like they're family! They're not that important!" he commented.  
  
"Then why did you begin rambling on about why your room wasn't clean?" she asked dully.  
  
"Because the only thing that matters is that my room is supposed to be clean each day I come out of that bathroom! The servant doesn't matter at all; only the room does."  
  
"So you're telling me that a human being is less important than a large cubicle filled with lifeless objects?" she rose angrily, "is that what you're saying?!"  
  
Sesshoumaru looked at his stepmother with a face that no one knew how to describe. For all we know, he could've actually felt bad for what he said and highly regretted it. But yet again, this is Sesshoumaru we're talking and he could've just been cold in heart and non-sentimental towards the lady.  
  
"I never said human being. She's a servant...just like you were oh, 17 years ago, maybe?" he said coolly. Lady Kumiko glared at the young taiyoukai with a discomforted face and fearful eyes. She never understood why today out of all days he has to torture her so. She stiffened in her gaze towards him.  
  
"In your face," he said triumphantly with evil. She glared at the young demon without speaking a word. With a smirk of laughter in his face, Sesshoumaru waved farewell and left the exasperated young woman alone to herself.  
  
"What am I going to do with him?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was now around noon and we leave our view out of the Takashi mansion and zoom towards the Yagakami Mall and into the store where young Kaede was sitting on a chair as if waiting for something, tapping her finger meanwhile.  
  
"Urg! Are you girls done yet? Come out already! You've been inside those closets for almost 30 minutes!"  
  
She rolled her eyes impatiently as she heard groans and moans of opposition come from inside the dressing rooms. Five doors suddenly flung open, revealing 5 eye-catching young girls coming out wearing stunning dresses.  
  
Kaede looked at each girl in their dress, and she pointed to Kagome and Tsuyu.  
  
"You two. Keep those on. The rest of you: try again."  
  
The silence was flooded with whines and complaints, but Kagome and Tsuyu got back in their closets and changed back to their old clothes.  
  
But in vague details, the girls basically chose the dresses that they wanted, no matter if Kaede liked it or not. They also bought the shoes, jewelry, and they made their hair appointments.  
  
It was now time for lunch, and they all decided to eat outdoors in the open air. But as their meals were brought to them, Nazuna ordered a meal that hardly filled half of the plate. Musou gazed at Nazuna with confusedly as she ate her food slowly. But she suddenly stopped when noticing him.  
  
"What?" she asked. Musou blinked twice.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked. "You're not eating much like you usually do." Everyone in the table noticed this now and Nazuna hesitated with a reply.  
  
"It's nothing, you guys," she explained "I'm just not too hungry today."  
  
But by the way everyone was looking at her, she knew they weren't buying it. At all.  
  
"Ok, what happened?" demanded Musou. Nazuna tried to keep eating to try and avoid the question, but she had to stop doing so when she noticed Tsuyu's gaze piercing at her eyes in search of something.  
  
"You don't look the same," she said suspiciously, "something amazing must've happened last night." Nazuna almost choked on the bite she was chewing, and she coughed and held her chest in hopes of not suffocating. But when she drank the water to chug down the food, everyone in the table was looking at each other knowing Tsuyu was right after all.  
  
Nazuna sighed and said: "Okay, fine. I'll spill it..."  
  
5 minutes later passed by now...  
  
"...and then I said that I had to go to bed, and left the kitchen to my room. That's all that happened." The whole table was looking at her with mouths ajar as the girls were officially in gossip-mode. But for some reason, Ayame was quite mad.  
  
"Why didn't you kiss him, Nazuna-chan?" she complained, "he's a hanyou! People that are two-in-one like him are the greatest kissers! Why, Nazuna, why?"  
  
"Uh, maybe because he was drunk?" Nazuna asked, "and that he's my master and that it's illegal by law to interfere with these types of rich people?" Ayame just looked at her.  
  
"So?" she shrugged, "he wouldn't remember a thing if he was drunk. So you wouldn't have gotten in trouble anyways."  
  
"Yeah, but it just didn't feel right," Nazuna assured looking down at her hands, "nonetheless, I can still feel his hands on my face. It's like they're blissfully pinching me."  
  
"That's called love, dearest," Tsuyu answered dully. Nazuna scoffed.  
  
"I'm not in love with him! Please; he's not my type." Tsuyu pretended to nod in agreement with her but deep inside, like everyone else, she knew Nazuna was infatuated with her cutie-faced master. She was going to wait until Nazuna finds out for herself the truth, and not deny these pinch- pocketed emotions of adoration that Nazuna's trying to flick away from her aura.  
  
Kaede called them out from the other table as she looked at the watch. It was time to go home now.  
  
"Let's get back on the road, huskies."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Two days finally passed by as it was now almost 7:00 pm, and everything was ready for the grand anniversary of Inutaisho and Kumiko. They all got in their limos, and headed towards the center of the party. But as everyone was heading towards the party, Kagome separated from the group and went inside of the bathroom to make some last-minute check-ups.  
  
She stood in the mirror looking at herself and making sure that her entire figure was as she wanted it to be. She sighed deeply as she looked at herself in this image of riches and perfection. But even though she was happy to go to a ball, she knew two things.  
  
She knew her master was going to be at the party, and he was surely going to torment her like every time she enters his room. She also knew that she was going to be scolded at and ignored from those richer than herself. But she knew she was strong enough to withstand anything, and she was sure that this dance was nothing compared to the pain her ex put her through.  
  
She took a deep breath as she left the room and went down the steps towards the source of her condemnation: the veranda.  
  
Sesshoumaru was sitting in his chair looking through his cup of champagne as the bubbles emerged to the surface. Sesshoumaru was so bored and the party started only an hour ago. He looked to his left as the servants talked amongst themselves in an ironic glee and excitement. For a single moment of staring at them, they seemed to look as if they really weren't employees; they looked like actual rich aristocrats.  
  
He looked around in search for something, but it was all in vain when he noticed that she hasn't arrived yet.  
  
"Where could that worthless girl be?" he asked himself in thought, "all the other servants here. Why is she so late?" He looked at the stars above as he heard the music playing and the people speaking in gaiety. He sighed deeply with arms crossed as he looked through his cup of champagne again, and switched into a mode of dullness.  
  
As he looked through it a few more seconds, something appeared in the yellow-tinted visage. He saw what it seemed like a saintly figure of ivory. He kept looking with astonished eyes as the figure's navy gaze roamed around her surroundings. She was the most heavenly thing he's ever seen in almost his entire life. But as the girl took off her white jacket, he moved away his cup to only look at the thing he's been admiring this entire time.  
  
It was her...  
  
The worthless wench...  
  
But how could this be? She was the one he's been praising this entire time?  
  
Heh. But who couldn't help but admire the girl? Just look at her! Just image this, dear reader.  
  
A angelic maiden stepping down the steps with her hair tied half way in a bun while the rest tumbled freely down her back. Her deep navy gray eyes were sparkling with a light coral eye shadow, and her lips were glossed with a light color of cinnamon. Her dress didn't end up being pink, but more like white. Almost her entire figure was shown as her back, arms, and chest (note not the word 'cleavage') and a smile glimmered around the atmosphere.  
  
The girls all gasped as she greeted them with a wave and a wide smile of excitement.  
  
They all whispered to her excitedly as she embraced them with loads of joy in her heart. She smiled as Shippou and the boys teasingly whistled like wolves and said silly things like "Where's Kagome? You're not Kagome! What did you do to her?! What have you done with her?"  
  
"Oh, she's buried under the garden," she said jokingly.  
  
But all her happiness and her bounciness stopped when her eyes roamed towards the table next to her. Because you know why...?  
  
It was Him...  
  
Her smile faded slowly as she looked again into those golden eyes she dreaded so. She now felt like the party was going to be a disaster; she could just smell it. She sat down slowly in her chair as her eyes were in that chain of uncertainty. His eyes were tugging and pulling her away as always, but her hands were squeezing her handkerchief as her nerves of trepidation trailed down her veins and body.  
  
But she noticed his eyes weren't so cold as before. His eyes seemed a lot softer than his usual punishing gaze. That fact alone made her feel like his eyes were calling out for her, like his arms were the only place she really belonged. Not in this table, not in her room, not even in her own shrine.  
  
Only in his arms she felt perfect...  
  
"What?! What am I thinking? This is crazy! This is wrong! Ever so wrong!" she thought to herself. She then turned to Nobunaga and asked for her to pass the water.  
  
Sesshoumaru knew she was nervous, but his usual victorious attitude never actually flashed through his mind. He actually felt good looking at her. He felt empty of worries and empty of anger. But how? This can't be so!  
  
But then he looked at her, as she looked at another persona with a face worse than fear itself. Her face grew lightly pale, as her grasp in the cloth tightened even more in anxiety. She almost seemed as if she was about to sob or even scream; but why? He looked at her source and he saw a young man around her again, with light brown hair and navy eyes.  
  
He seemed to be very mannered and proper as he greeted everyone with a smile and a bow or handshake. But he sniffed his scent and he smelt entirely of betrayal and wickedness. He didn't like this man, and it seemed that Kagome didn't either.  
  
Kagome turned her back towards the figure she was looking at, and she almost squealed in surprise as Sango touched her shoulder concernedly.  
  
"My god, Kagome. What's wrong with you tonight? You haven't said a single word since you sat down."  
  
Kagome swallowed hard as she looked at the young man again with a fear worse than death.  
  
"He's here... Oh my good gracious, he's here..." she whispered restlessly.  
  
"What? What are you talking about? Who's here?" she asked. Kagome took deep breaths as he hands squeeze her handkerchief even more than before.  
  
"Him... that bastard..." she answered uneasily with shaking hands.  
  
"Kagome! Say it already!" whispered Ayame demandingly, "who are you talking about?"  
  
The girl sighed deeply as she swallowed her fears and answered this:  
  
"... My exboyfriend Houjou..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
DADADADAAAA! The mystery is solved! We finally know Kagome's ex! Sorry for the delay as always. Tell me your thoughts on it when you review! So peace out, minna-san! ^_^v  
  
~*~ Ruu-chan  
  
The maids are taken shopping to get ready for their masters' anniversary ball. Kagome is the main star of the party, but as Sesshoumaru glues his eyes on her, Kagome is reunited with a man worse than death, the man who broke her heart long ago... Who could he be? 


	11. Chapter 11: An Obsession to Die For

**The Maid: Chapter 11**

**AN: Hello again, my readers (if there are any still out there...) I'm deeply sorry for taking such a GIGANTIC amount of time to continue my story... I know many of you might hate me right now, but o well.. hopefully you'll find in your hearts to forgive the hugest writer's block that I have ever expirienced. I guarentee you that nothing like this will ever happen again...**

Well, it's now 2:30 am and I'm worried of the mere fact that I can't sleep. I tried to find sleep just like Sango suggested, but nothing seems to work... I closed my eyes, I tossed and turned, and drank some cold water. I've done everything under the book and for what? Nothing... I've been so scared, so terrified, about that ball I went to... So many things happened, and God only knows why things are coming to me like this. I'm so glad I brought you with me... it's only you who knows my deepest secrets... even the ones that my own loved ones haven't even thought of... only you know what my mind is going through... and right now it's in the verge of falling into a deep dark pit of confusion and chaos.

I remembed sitting on the bathroom stall just bawling to death, rethinking that pain that asshole made me go through, all because I was so deeply in love with him. Just seeing him with that woman... that woman under the shadows... It was all so long ago... but to me, it was as if it was just yesterday. That memory, that nightmare, that terror that just refuses to let me go. That pain that weakens me each time that his face appears in my mind. It's painful... to see the man you loved decieve you in your own face...

Sango and Nazuna waited for me outside the door, hearing them whisper to each other concernedly, hearing them speak of me like I was a little girl crying over a lost doll. I felt so vulnerable... so small...

So insignificant...

I somehow managed to stand up and look at my hands, trembling weakly as I saw a tear drip down my palm. Sooner or later it fell to the ground, and to me, that drop sounded like the sound of a harp. It was so soothing... For a second there I felt like all my energy was coming back slowly, like hope was sucking me whole and letting me face that girl in the mirror. You know what that girl looked like?

Absolute pathetic...

Her eyes were red, her face paler than snow, and her hair now down and even though destroyed, she still managed to pull off this decent-girl look. We bit our lower lip, and wondered one thing:

How were we gonna survive tonight? With him in our midsts, how could we even step out of this bathroom? I shook my head, swallowed hard, and fixed myself as best as I could. I walked towards the door and just wished for the best to come out of this night. I was dressed like a goddess and my friends weren't having a good time... just because I was being all anxious about a man that I hate... I opened the door and told fate to just bring it on...

**I was sitting down on that table, looking at my watch every 30 seconds wondering just where the hell was that fucking maid? I first thought that she had to go get something else to eat inside. Then I thought she went to sleep. But by the 5th idea, I decided to get up and find out for myself. I walked towards my house, through crowds of my father's friends as they greeted me and talked amongst themselves (as always, I had to just shake hands and smile, answer "I'm doing well" or "Enjoy your night") But something didn't seem right about this audience...**

**I felt an irritating intuition that there was something bad bound to happen... I couldn't help but to turn towards that young man with the child-like face... I somehow found him very decieving, cunning, and someone unfit for this type of get-together.**

**Just who the hell was this fucker anyway? I don't know him, and I highly doubt that he knows my father... But then my question was answered, the minute I saw Inuyasha approach the young man with a hug that only close friends would give each other. So now I know Inuyasha and him are friends...How odd... Inuyasha and his damn human friends... I guess that what you get for being a cursed half-breed, I suppose... But just still...**

**He's trouble... and I know it...**

**After climbing a few steps into my home and out of the backyard, I saw that servant with two girl companions. From there, I could smell the saltiness of her tears, the perfume of cherry blossoms and the breath of peppermints escaping her mouth. I could see her from there, just wondering what the fuck she was doing...**

"Kagome, please stop it. We promise nothing wrong will happen you!"

"Yeah, we'll be next to you the whole night!" Nazuna assured me.

"Thanks, guys. But I'd rather see you guys out there dancing or having a blast, not sitting here next to a cry baby the whole night." Sango and Nazuna cooed as if I said something cute to them.

"Aww, c'mon, Kagome!" Sango said, "Do you think I'll be able to dance and have fun while knowing that you're in the living room crying?"

"I know! What the hell? Do you think we could just ignore you? We'll be by your side until you feel better." I looked at them and just sighed, trying my best to smile and be happy. But then something happened...

"Do you mind explaining to me why you low-lives are sitting on the couch without permission?"

...He arrived...

"Master Sessh--"

"Don't bother explaining to me anything... I want you two out of my sight..." I felt Sango and Nazuna rub my arm in comfort before they departed outside, and left me alone with him...

"What's wrong now, maid? What are you sulking over now?" I felt him coming closer towards me, as I sat there with my head down and my lap supporting my hands.

"Maid, what have I told you about that little rule you need to follow when talked to?" God, I didn't want to look at him... I didn't want him to suck me whole with those stupid golden eyes of his... But I had no choice but to do it... I raised my head up high and looked at him, my face straight and my eyes looking straight at his...

"Answer my question... or do I have to bother myself and ask you a second time?" My hands were shaking so much...

"Sir, it's none of your business..." I told him finally, "you don't have to know anything unless I want to tell you." I felt his eyes pierce into mine as I gather the last courage I had in me. He grabbed me by the arm tightly, as he pulled me towards him and stood me up.

"Since when did you decide what's not my business?" he asked me coldly. "You should know perfectly well your place in this house, or even in your life for that matter." I looked at him as coldly as I could, trying not to let any tears fall down. "When I tell you to tell me, you tell me. I don't care what it is, or how much it hurts you inside..." I winced quietly as he tightened his grip. "What I says goes... and you have no choice but to do as told..."

I tried my best to breath in, to not allow my strength to leave me... I tried so hard...

"Do I make myself clear?" I looked at him harder and swallowed my fears again.

"Yessir..." I slowly turned my head towards the ground.. as he let me go and pushed towards the ground lightly. He walked towards the door and stopped.

"Maid?" I took my breath slowly as I looked up at him through hair strands. I glared at him with the most utmost anger than I could...

"Just because you're wearing a pretty dress tonight, and just because my parents invited you damn slaves as guests... that doesn't change what you are. You're still a maid and you will always be a maid. Don't forget that..." He walked away and left me alone there...

Oh, my god how much I hated him... that damn dog demon thinking he's so much better than me... How much I wanted to rip him to pieces... I looked at myself and noticed just how much I hated this... My masters making me feel like I'm worth something when all along they don't see me as such. That's the worse thing they could do to me: make me feel equal to them when they don't feel the same. I took my shoes off, and decided to call it a night...

**"Well, don't you feel like the Big Man now? Look what you did! You just made her feel like shit!"**

**"Stop it, will you!" I hated it when my conscience was always right...**

**"No, I won't! I'm going to let you know what I thought of that. There's only one thing I can say: You're such a damn asshole!"**

**"Why are you doing this to me! Leave me alone!" I said in anger, rubbing my temples and sighing deeply on the steps.**

**"I'm doing this because I feel like you and her could have something!"**

**"What do you mean by that!"**

**"Well actually that's up to you! Deep inside, you're trying to block the fact that you care about her. Isn't that why you were asking her what was wrong?"**

**"I don't care about her! I've told you that so many times! Get it to your head!"**

**"Two things: You should be the one doing that, and second of all, I AM your head! And if you don't care about her, why did you ask such a question anyway?"**

**"Because I... Because! Just because I can!" I bit my lip and tried my best to not let anyone see me like this.**

**"Um...that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard... Am I supposed to be scared of you?" **

**"Why the fuck am I letting a stupid voice ruin my life?" I mumbled to myself. I searched into my back pocket and took a dollar bill out.**

**"Sesshoumaru, I'm being dead serious now... I don't care what your excuses are about Kagome, but you have to start respecting her, no matter if she's a maid or not. If you don't, she's gonna get tired of you. And your parents will be very disappointed in you if they find out that your rudeness caused one of their maids to quit their job. Imagine how your father will feel..."**

**I just closed my eyes and sighed, letting common sense get me a grip into truth. My father is one of the most important things ever in my life, and all I live for is to make him proud... how WOULD he feel if I disappointed him? I wanted to make him feel like I'm worth more than just a continuation of a bloodline... but how am I going to show him that?**

**I honestly don't want to respect her... she's only a human... why should I degrade myself and equal my level to hers? There must be some other way. So fuck this shit... I'm outta here...**

I decided to go and change into my PJs and go to sleep. I just wanted to go get some rest and hope for the best tomorrow... I was so tired I felt my eyes shutting on me... Sango came in before hand and told me she was going to come back and check up on me. So I waited for her in my room, looking at the night sky through my window. I left it open and allowed the wind to blow inside and freshen up my senses. I had my back facing the door, as i put my bed comforter on my lap. I sat there and wondered just how much more I could take before my patience ran short.

I was so tired of him... So tired of his rudeness and his cockiness. He had a tallness that he took to his advantage: to show superiority towards a person, especially me. I sometimes wished I knew what went through his mind, what he was thinking, what he hated, but most importantly: what did he love? DID he love anything, or anyone in that matter? Could he really be as cold-hearted as he is towards me? There should be more to him than what he shows...

The door opened and closed again shortly.

I turned around and smiled.

"Hey, glad you're back, Sango." I said.

But the only reply I got was silence. I looked at shadowed figure letting go of the doorknob.

"Sango?" I asked again. I heard foot steps approach me, and my voice was caught in my throat...

Because I swear to God I thought it was her...

**I sat back down to the table as I noticed something very strange coming to mind... That asshole left... I looked around and found Inuyasha dancing with that servant of his... Disgusting...**

**"Inuyasha. May I speak with you?" I asked him sharply. **

**"Hey, since when were you the one asking me anything nicely?" he laughed out loud. Ugh, such an idiot, like always...**

**"Shut up and come here, will ya?"**

**"Geez! Fine! Nazuna, can you wait a second?" She was the same girl with Kagome. She nodded at him calmly and then looked at me coldly for a few seconds. **

**"What is it, bro?"**

**"Who is that friend of yours?" I asked him. He looked at me confused.**

**"Who are you talking about?"**

**"You know, that human you greeted after father's introduction." Inuyasha stood there quizzical as he though just who the hell I was talking about. It was typical of him... taking him ages to answer such a simple question...**

**"OOh! You mean Houjou?" **

**"I don't care what his name is! Just tell me where he is!" **

**"Damn, sorry! He told me he was gonna go inside and use the bathroom."**

**"How long ago did he ask you?"**

**"What? Iono, like 15 minutes ago? Uh, why do you even care anyway?" he shrugged his shoulders confusedly. I rolled my eyes and left the scene without thanks. I started sniffing around the house when I got in, and for some reason,**

**I couldn't catch her scent from anywhere! It was as if she had totally disappeared. But... what was this about?**

**DId he kidnap her? Why?**

**If he did, where did he go?**

**Dammit! My brother was so stupid to let him go inside the house, especially when no one in the family knows who he is! I tried to relieve my tension by rubbing my temples again. But since when was rubbing my temples the way to bring back that maid? I guess I had to look for her myself before everyone finds out anything and point fingers at me and start calling me an irresponsible mutt. I had to find her...**

**I had no choice...**

My eyes were so heavy... and I could hardly see anything... I was so tired and so weak... I tried moving my hands, but I couldn't. I tried getting up from the chair, but my feet were in the same condition. I tried to say words, but I couldn't... All I could do is see faces... faces of the devil himself...

"Good evening, Kagome... so good to see you again after so long..."

That voice... it was so familiar...

Could it be? Could it really be who I thought it was?

No...no, please don't let it be true... don't let me be right...

"Houjou...?" I heard him chuckle merrily.

"How nice to hear my name again from you. It's been so long since I've heard you speak, my dear Kagome..." I felt him touch my face, with those same fingertips that made me fall for him in the first place. His caresses only made me hate him more and more each moment that passed by. His eyes were just the same: seductive and deceitul...

"After all this time of us being seperated... I finally found you again! What were the odds?" He stood up and laughed as I tried my best to keep my eyes open as best I could. I looked around and easily noticed that I wasn't in my room anymore... or in the Takahashi mansion as a matter of fact. I knew for a fact that we were in his place...

I wiggled my fingers and toes as my senses came back to me after a few seconds. I looked up at him and saw him lying against a wall, with arms crossed and eyes focused on me. He walked towards the light, his baby face easily covering his insanity and treacherous ways.

"Oh Kagome... so sad to see you all tied up at the moment," he chuckled, "but I have a story to tell you... one which, you just love to think back on..." He lighted his cigarrette and let out a puff of air through his nose, as the candle between us luminated his atrocious gaze.

"Once upon a time, there was this little girl named Kagome Higurashi: a 17-year-old girl who just absolutely fell head over heels to this boy called Houjou..." The minute he said his name, my eyes felt so much relieved as I finally saw him more clearly that I ever have.

"Houjou, at the beginning, was really into this Kagome girl, and thought she was a really nice catch... especially when she had such an excellent body to touch all over..." As he spoke such disgusting words, I couldn't help but to whimper a little as he touched my legs. "Everything so perfect... not even the most powerful ladie's man could resist her..her legs, her knees, her thighs...ha.. and every else in between..." He trailed his hand up my stomach and up to my cleavage, as I breathed heavily and noticed what he could be perfectly capable of.

"I wish I could just make my fantasies come to life right here right now... but I will hold on a few more minutes until you know how I felt when I saw you all over Mishio back in Tokyo.."

"Mishio? You thought me and him were--" Immediately I felt a striking pain in my cheek, as I fell out of my chair, weak and unable to defend myself..

"Silence, you whore... I knew you two were lovers while we were together. It was just so obvious. I saw you everywhere with him: the park, the movies, the mall, even at your own house. You two were inseperable... You and me had a perfect chance of being together... but then he came along with the whole 'let's-be-friends' bull crap... and took you away from me... You have no idea how angry I was when I found you two waiting for me at my house, saying you wanted to see a movie. What a lame-ass excuse.."

"I can't believe you could be so distrustful..." I couldn't help but to speak up, as he told me this nonsense... "Him and i were just friends. And I went with him to the movies because you were working. Each time we met up we had my best friends meet up and go inside together..." I turned my head as I laid there and looked at him smoke away, looking up as if he wasn't even listening to me... "I never cheated on you, Houjou! I loved you so much. And what did you do? You went back to fuck your ex in my own face!"

He glared at me the minute I finished my sentence. But I shortly regretted saying what I said because the next thing I know... it was all black...

**I left home with no excuse of where I was... but before I left, I told my father that I had an emergency call from a peer of mine from school. I sprinted out of my house, hoping that he doesn't notice anything of what's bound to happen to me.**

**I sniffed up a trail and noticed the smell of gasoline from his car, leading towards Downtown Kyoto. The minute I got there, I walked swiftly around the streets, looking up at the tall buildings and sniffing the scent of that goddamn maid that might get my ass in trouble. I looked straight ahead and found myself in the plaza, sniffing up whatever I could retrieve of her scent. As I got closer and closer to the house, her scent was clear as glass. I got to the house, and kicked the door open. I turned left and slammed the next door open...**

**Only to witness a rape about to be commited. I saw that selfish bastard undressing her like she was some kind of ragdoll. She laid there on the ground half naked, her face blank and her eyes shut dormantly. I saw his face, a desperate stare reaching my eyes as I growled angrily at what my mind was capturing. I couldn't resist but to grab the man by the neck and grit my teeth with fury.**

**"Who the hell do you think you are, to kidnap my maid like this? What in the seven hells were you thinking!"I saw him look at me without a single trace of fear, only a gaze of so-called power and dominancy, like he was so mighty and great...**

**"I'm actually Kagome's boyfriend... She and I went out during high school and after we graduated, I went to look for her. But due to some misunderstanding, she dumped me and got over me... But you know what? She's too perfect to be wandering around like a bitch looking for a dog. She deserves a man that would give her what she wants: fulfillment to her utmost fantasies. I was about to give her the night of her life... But then a certain taiyoukai bastard got in my way..."**

**I looked at a half- empty glass of water, easily noticing why she was passed out on the ground...**

**"Do you think you can really fullfill her fantasies..." I threw him to the wall and let him slide down to the floor, groaning in pain from the impact, "when you drug a woman and leave her unconscious? What kind of a man are you?" I scoffed at him. "Fucking coward..." Houjou sat there on the floor, as I turned around, clothed, and picked up the piece of slave trash from the floor as I congratulated myself with glory, smelling the blood coming from his arm.**

**"I hope you learned a lesson from all this... You mess with me again, and you'll be getting more than just a wound..." I went through the door and heard him threaten me like I was supposed to fear him.**

**"You won't get away with this, you manwhore! I can make this whole country turn against you and despise you like you were the devil himself! You just wait!"**

**I got out of the house and chuckled at his feeble attempt to scare me like that. I then looked up at the moon heavy armed and ran towards home again.**

After 5 minutes of sprinting like light itself, he finally arrived home, to only notice that the party guests were about to leave. He dashed towards the woods to hide and not be seen. He waited for a few minutes under the dark trees as he saw the last car depart from his entrance. Once the gates were closed and the front yard lights were turned off, he aimed to her room. He was thankful to notice that the windows were open as he swiftly climbed up. He managed to go inside and gently plant his feet firm to ground.

For the first time in the whole night, he looked at her more closely than he ever has in his life. Her hair shined in the moonlight as her head rested on his chest and his arms under her legs. He laid her in bed and looked at her face more and more, like a little child looking at an ant with a magnifying glass. He placed her undercovers in case of any suspicion in the morning. He was just glad no one caught him in the act. He stepped at the window to depart, looking back at his maid one last time. Once he arrived at his room and shut the door...

"Sesshoumaru, how can you not think that Kagome is beautiful? Just look at her for Christ's sake!" Sesshoumaru sighed, absolutely bummed of the fact that his conscience had to intervene his thoughts at such a time.

"Will you quit it?" he asked, "I really need some sleep. That bitch is gonna pay for making me do this to her."

"Well, she would've paid with more than her life if you didn't come to the rescue. Lucky you got concerned in the first place!"

"I was only looking out for myself. I did it only to not dissappoint father. He would've been furious if he ever found out what happened."

"So you're telling me that you didn't have a single care for her? Is that really what you intend to say to me?" Sesshoumaru sighed as he dressed in his gray wife beater and PJ pants.

"That's correct. Now will you leave me alone?" His conscience sighed as he laid his head on the pillow.

"Feh, whatever..."

OK, well that's Chapter 11 (whew!) Finally got that over with! I know it's not as good as my previous chapters, but I hope you liked it nonetheless. Please say anything you'd like if you choose to review my chapter. (Flames are respected but not very appreciated.. ;;) So yea, onward to Chapter 12! X-D


	12. Chapter 12: Under the Stars

The Maid: Chapter 12

AN: **Everyone that has put a story alert on this story, I'm sorry that it has taken so long for you all to finally see it. And yes, I reloaded it because the format was annoying me! And the ending is a liiiittle different now… Just minor, but read again just in case…**

**R+R, please! Enjoy!  
**

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Nazuna came out that night, with a beautiful turquiose dress, flowing down to her knees and its silk shining in the moon light. Her hair reminded her of the 1920's, and her eyes were dark and lipstick hot pink. She looked absolutely glamorous, and Inuyasha has never been so infatuated and mesmerized, especially a girl like her.

"Who does those girls think they are, standing there looking like they're the life of the party?" Kagura laughed at the reserved table near Sesshoumaru's and clapped along with her best friend, Kikyo Shikigami. KIkyo was merely laughing with he, drinking some fine champagne all the way from Milan and Florence.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Every year, they do this. You dress a poor maid with an expensive dress and suddenly they think they're the biggest shit who stepped on earth. Really, who do they think they're fooling? Not me, that's for sure."

"They're so ridiculous. I'm surprised they can even write their own names!" Laughter filled the table as they kept going on their mere jeering. Kikyou wasn't interested in that. Her eyes filled with perserverence as she stared at the strapping taiyoukai sit down and look at the white wine in his glass.

She promised her father a marriage soon this year, and all she needed was the right man to fit the suit, and the exceedinly massive bank account.

"Mr. & Mrs. Sesshoumaru Takahashi".

Sounds like a perfect name to put in a wedding invitation...

But what?

What happened?

Sesshoumaru suddenly turned around and stared aimlessly... at something... or someone more like...

Staring at the ivory-dressed maiden walking down to the scene, rubbing her lower arm nervously as she looked around, and see some relieving and familiar faces.

"Who is that girl?" Kikyou looked at her friends as she stared at the same young girl she was looking at. They turned to Kiyou and back at the other girl. Quizzical expression filled her friends' faces, as they titled their head in amazement.

"She looks just like you, Kikyou... She could even be your sister!"

"Yeah, same hair, same eyes, same height, same--"

"If you dare say one more word and comparing to that worthless piece of trash, I'll rip you apart, and you know I can!"

Kagura and Kanna sat still with shocked gazes at their friend, as they then turned to the food in their plate and continued eating without hesitation. Kikyou looked at the two girls coldly as they showed no interest in KIkyou's threat.

The young woman ignored them and continued to pay close attention to that girl.

Who is she anyway, and why does she look like me?

It's mere coincidence I presume. I'm not going to kill more brain cells wondering about it.

Outside the party, two figures were sneaking behind a few trees as they climbed up a hill and saw a meadow of beautiful lillies, sun flowers, carnations, and daisies. A young man grabs a fragile and beautiful hand and guides her towards the swing hung in the tall oak tree. He grabs her by the waist and lifts her up as she squeals of surprise and giggles as she let him sit next to her on the swing. He looks at her and grins as she looks down and blushes of embarrasment.

"Master, this place is beautiful..."

"I told you to call me Inuyasha. It feels weird you calling me "master". Am I not the dog here? If anything, you're my master!" Nazuna chuckled and apologized.

"No, please. It's just too soon to call you by your--"

"Which is? Tell me... C'mon, what's my name?" He curled his ear to her mouth so he could hear her say it.

"In---Inu--Inuyaaaa...shaa..." The hanyou looks at the moonlit sky and shrugs agreeingly.

"You sound like a toddler, but it's better than 'master'." Nazuna was glad for his approval.

"Wow.. so, this is all the back yard?" Inuyasha nodded. "It truly is amazing, you know."

"I personally believe your face alone beats this view by a landslide..." Nazuna stared shockedly at him, her face reddening as his words sunk into her memory.. registering regardless of the denial she was accumulating. Inuyasha looked at the ground as he then stared at the star-lit sky.

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? What do you want?" Inuyasha laughs smiling as he started swinging next to her.

"What you mean what do I want?" Inuyasha laughed. "You want me to be an asshole? 'Cause I can bring him back, if you'd like." He grabbed her around her arms and picked her up to lift her up in the air. Nazuna shook her head insanely with a wide smile, laughter escaping her lungs.

"Inuyasha! No, don't! Please! Ahhh!" The dog hanyou looked at the girl shake her head with shut eyes and a smile across her face. He laughed out and he spinned her around and placed her back in the ground.

"Fine.." he pouted playfully, "be that way." Nazuna chuckled as she gasped for air and stared at her master.

Inuyasha looks down to the ground and then to the green-dressed maiden with her golden glitter under those bright brown eyes looking straight into his soul.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Nazuna asked. Inuyasha shook his head, his grip still around Nazuna.

"It's no big deal.. Just that... I love it when you say my name," he confesses, pouting his lips casually, "you're starting to grow into me... and... I never knew that that could ever happen... especially with someone like you..."

"A servant, you mean?" Tilting her head to the side, the young man nodded his head agreeingly.

"Pretty much..."

"Inuyasha...that's a strange name. Never heard of anything similar to it." Inuyasha sighed deeply, his eyes shaking in reproach, as he laid on the grass and looked at the stars spickling in the sky.

"Well, that's what you get for being a half-breed. Weird people tend to have weird names, I guess."

"Oh, don't say that," Nazuna assured, sitting next to him with her legs curled to herself, "Nazuna is a weird name, too, you know."

"Nazuna is not weird name..." he said grinning at her cutely, "it's just as special and unique as you..." She shied away and giggled.

"Hey, do you see that star?" he said. She stared up and tried to look for it, but there were so many...

"Which one?" She asked squinting her eyes as her neck project upwards. "I don't see it."

"Well, you can't see it sitting up like that," he said, " you have to lay down next to me and see it from my perspective." Nazuna turned to him with a smirk.

"Heh... Oh, really..." Inuyasha's eyed widened.

"What? You don't believe me?" he scuffed cutely, "Fine..." He shrugged and kept on to his own business.

Nazuna looked at him, wondering just how in the heck she landed herself in this situation. His eyes, his hair, his face, everything was so new to her, like a breath of fresh air from the high top hills. She was wondering so many things and getting no answers.. Why him, she wondered? Why this rich, childish, and beautiful hanyou for her match? She looked down to herself in wonder... and decided that she had to make a decision...

She scooded towards him, and layed completely on the grass, his hair used as comfort on her tired head. His eyes jetted to his left, to see her looking up, and then towards him.

"Ok. So where the star you want me to see?" Inuyasha sighed of relief.

"Finally! I'd though you'd never ask!" he smiled. He pointed his finger toward the sky and said, "that one right there, the one blinking.."

"Um, they're all blinking the same..."

"Not the one I'm pointing to," he insisted, "that one right there, you don't see it?"

Nazuna pointed as well, "that one right?" Inuyasha sighed.

"Nooo, that's not the one." He grabbed her arm, moving to the correspondent direction and got his eyes almost in level with hers, their heads connected and eyes only inches apart.

"Thhhat one..." He smiled as she tried to find that damn star he was talking about.

She then looked at his arm, as he pointed in the same direction as hers. She tilted her head in wonder, staring at his claws and the scars in his arms.

Inuyasha looked at her confused, as she grabbed his arm softly, and started touching his hand in wonder, her focus lost.

"Is something wrong?" he asked concerned. Nazuna just looks at him, her mouth soft and silent, as his honey eyes blinked in wonder of her mood.

"For the first time in my life, I can say "No" to that question..." she said in awe of herself. Inuyasha blinked again, his face begging to question. "There's nothing wrong at all whatsoever..." Inuyasha looked at her soft grin, sliding his hand slowly towards hers, and rubbing her hand slowly and meticulously.

His eyes looked at her more and more. "And I'm scared...so, so scared..." He felt like his heart was about to stop beating, and was going to come out of his chest as he hears her voice speak to him like a dream.

"But you know what.. Inuyasha...?" He said nothing, and only let go of her hand, and placed it on her cheek, rubbing his thumb slowly and softly. "I don't want this feeling to go away... I don't want this to disappear... ever..." She was shaking so much...

He brushed her hair with his hands, as a stream of a tear went down her cheek... He never wanted to see her cry... especially not like this...

"You have no idea, Nazuna," he whispered, "how scared and complete I feel right now..."

Nazuna looked at him closer, their foreheads together, as their eyes locked on each others, as if nothing else existed or mattered more than this moment they were sharing right now...

Nazuna closed her eyes, as she felt Inuyasha's arm wrap around her waist, and pull her body atop of his, and feel his heart beat just as fast as hers.

"I'll do everything in my power, Nazuna" he whispered slowly, "to make you feel like this... every moment I'm with you..." Her breath was running short, and her mind was wondering so many things, as she felt his head pull up towards her, and his lips brushing onto hers. He pushed in and tasted her for the very first time, her subconscious wonder finally solved.

His kiss deepened as lips smacked and his grip held onto her, fantasies surging through his mind, and her wildest dreams finally made. She brushed her fingers through his luscious silver hair, moaning wildly with such happiness, rolling him over to the other side, and have her in the bottom.

He caressed her waist and and neck, his tounge slowly twining with hers, moaning with such joy and wondering so many things that he's dying to do to her... Her enjoyment was limitless, and she sighed and groaned softly with glee, wishing that not even fate could break this apart now now.

But it did happen, and they broke their kiss, weakly gasping in amazement, with smiles on their faces and a nervous giggle escaping from her lips.

"That was the most amazing first kiss ever..." Inuyasha looked at her shockedly, as she said it bashfully and with some embarrasment. Inuyasha kissed her nose and grabbed her close to him again.

"Don't worry," he said, "mine too." Nazuna looked at him.

"Nuh uh. I am NOT your first kiss... Impossible!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he chuckled.

"Yes, you are, I swear!" He said timidly but smoothly. Nazuna puckered her lips and squeezed his cheeks.

"Awww, wittle Inuyasha finally got his first kiss with the maiddd," she laughed cutely. Inuyasha laughed knowing that what she said, was the truth after all.

"Nazuna..." he said looking away from her, as he got off top of her and to her side again. He was now serious, almost sad like he's found a dead end.

"What happened?" she said, assuming that what she said hurt him. Inuyasha looked down, and then up to her again.

"I'm sorry I said that," Nazuna apologized sadly, she feeling the exact same way about it. "What are we gonna do...?" Inuyasha looked down, wondering the same question. What were they gonna do?

"We can't let anybody know about this..." he said conclusively. Nazuna sighed.

"Does this mean you're gonna start treating me like crap again?" Inuyasha looked at her shocked now.

"If my parents find out that you and me are together, they're gonna fire you..." he said to her, "and that'll be the end of it. Kapoot. Done... No questions asked..." Nazuna grabbed his hand and lifted his chin with her hand.

"Whatever you have to do, just do it," she said, "I don't want to go now, Inuyasha. You know I have to help family back home, and I really need this job..." Inuyasha looked puzzled.

"Just treat me as you've done before."

"After I just kissed you and knowing that you are the most amazing girl I've ever met in my life? I don't think so, Nazuna..." he protested. Nazuna almost felt relieved he said that; she felt such a complete joy in her heart. Inuyasha sniffed, his eyes and ears alert.

"What happ--"

"Shh, someone's coming..." Nazuna tried looking around to find the source,but quickly she felt Inuyasha swoop her and start screaming "You freaking servants just don't have a sense of direction, do you? And they say you guys are well-educated... Getting lost is surely not a way to prove such a thing." Nazuna sat bewildered as her placed her on his shoulder like a rolled-up carpet rug. Inuyasha started walking.

"No matter what happens after this," Inuyasha whispered, "just know that my heart belongs to you only." Nazuna's eyes trembled in shock.

"Don't doubt me for a second..."

Nazuna nodded, and said "I don't, and I won't... my wittle Inu-kun..." She said caressing his hair as she hung behind him.

"Master Inuyasha! I thought you left us for sure!" said Totosai in his three-eyed bull, with a lantern and a chauffeur hat.

"I'd be right now partying and having a blast, but Dad told me to look for my servant, and look where I found her. Trying to escape, mostly likely." '

The act was on.

"I was just--"

"Don't back-talk to me, you crappy lump!" Totosai smacked Inuyasha with the lantern.

"That's not the way to talk to a lady. You know tonight she is not a servant, but your guest. I thought after all these years you'd finally understand that." Inuyasha pouted, and sighed grumpily

"Fine," he scoffed. He placed her on Totosai's bull, as he walked away and said "this has been a lousy waste of my time. I hope you're happy, maid! Getting me out of this party to look for crappy and useless little you. Gosh, this is SUCH a downer." He walked on and told Totosai to take her back to the mansion.

Nazuna looked on at him as we walked, so majestically like a knight walking into a battle.

"Inuyasha. He's never been like this before," Totosai said to her as they went on, "with other maids he could care less about them. But with you," he started at her hard, "he's totally different..."

He grabbed her by the arm and said "I know there's something going on between you two," he said suspiciously, her mouth about to deny but he said "don't bother explaining... I'm just going to say that you should stop this now, because in the end, the one with the lowest bounty, will never win the prize...if you know what I mean." Nazuna's head bowed down, shocked, angry, and even heart-broken as Totosai's word sunk in finally.

"You are not going to win this battle if you decide to fight," he said. "So just let it end now, before you cause anymore trouble than you already have." Nazuna clenched her fist, enraged with the truth and way things are going.

Why can't she have what she wants for once? Why always rejection, limitations or even lies? She doesn't know where this is going, but she's sure as hell not going to give up...

She looked at him, and just walked away without a word. Totosai grinned as he placed his bull back to the ranch. "Yup, they're nuts about each other... Inutaisho cannot stand another summer love, and if this happens, I'll get fired for sure! Kami, please don't let this happen..."

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**Ok. Again, I apologize for it not being the pairing I said it was going to be. There's going to be more coming next chapter, and it's going to be MUCH longer than this one. Please let me know your thoughts! R+R  
**

**NEXT ON THE MAID:**

**Chapter 13: When Bad Get Worse**

**Kikyou noticed that her title as Mrs. Takahashi was at risk in the hands of that nasty maid. Now she wants to put matter in her own hands, and she teams up with an interesting aid… Starts with Ho, and ends with Joe… Need I say more?**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF I "STILL GOT IT" T_T**


	13. Chapter 13: Thunderstorm Invitations

**THE MAID: CHAPTER 13**

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**Hiiii. It's me. Again. After only forever. I'm surprised I'm not dead yet.. -_-**

**Sigh.. Finally, after THREE YEARS of not writing, I somehow got a boost again... I know some of you have pretty much forgotten me, but I have not forgotten ANY OF YOU. All your reviews mean the world to me, and I wish you could forgive me. It's been years... Lots has happened, including my return to the anime FFN world! So glad to be back... **

**Finally some good stuff for you. I hope this is to your satisfaction. I admit my writing has changed a bit, but I hope you like it nonetheless. **

**You know the drill. Since it's been years, I hope to get 10 or more. I want to make sure there are still people interested in my story... Let me know if you like it, let me know if you don't. Again, I apologize immensely... IMMENSELYYYYY! Lol**

**More juicy stuff (*cough*LEMONS*cough*) coming soon ;)**

**Read. Review. Enjoy. :D 3**

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A dark rainy night in the Inutaisho mansion was Kagome's wake-up call. She didn't know why her head felt so heavy, and her muscles couldn't even budge from the her feathered pillows and mattress. She didn't know whether it was pain or comfort that caused this paralysis of her senses. Her eyes open as the thunder struck outside like wails in a deadly battle. She was now wide awake… finally… by miracle, it felt.

She didn't know what came over her… but she started to whimper, and turned into wails and screams of sheet panic. Her arms swung with determined fists, and her feet kicked with all her might, as the image of that disgusting excuse of human being, flashed in her memory… Out of nowhere…

She couldn't believe what was happening… Did that really happen? Was it just a nightmare? No… It was real… She felt him look at her… She caressed her cheek with her hand, feeling the throbbing pain he caused with just one slap. The creep was strong, and absolutely merciless.

She looked outside her window… the door was open, freely swinging back and forth as the rain would invade her balcony and room, the wind sending chills down her body, cold and sickening as that bastard's wicked and tantalizing stare. She shivered, her mind in a trance, she was more confused than scared. She sniffed and cleaned the only tear she will ever cry for him, ever again. She cried too much to bother crying anymore.

_This was it._

She had to be strong for her own good. Not for mom. Not for Souta.

She had to be selfish for once…

But hey… She wondered… how did she get here? She was knocked out cold when that animal hit her so hard… Something must've happened… Someone must've known…

_But who?_

Kagome looked around as she sat slouched in her bed, wondering aimlessly for something, anything, to let her put the final pieces to this perplexing situation… I'm still wearing my dress…

_Heh. I look like Cinderella after the step-sister dress sabotage._

Who was with me? Did someone find me? Why isn't the police here?

Her eyes glowed as she stared straight ahead at the balcony… She gasped in awe as she saw a black string hanging at the corner of the door, flailing desperately as if wanting to hang on longer. She toed out of bed and reached curiously at the black string… Eyes fixated and narrow, she began to delve deeper in question.

_This is a bow tie string… But where could this have-_

_GASP… _

Her mind triggered an answer, with an image of silver locks, floating in the wind, strong arms that grasp a woman like a feather, and ember eyes so bold, not even the farthest distance could be missed… Kagome was startled, almost in shock, even.

_But how?_

_Could it be?_

_Maybe his laundry got messed up and ended at the door. Maybe he placed it there so I could get in trouble…_

She took a whiff at it, to see if it matched his cologne...

_Are you serious? No… No way…_

She had to find out.

With dress dragging and hair tangling with her steps, she went to his room door. She knew it wasn't even morning yet, but she had to know… She breathed a huff of courage and knocked on the door… She could see a dim light from under, so she knew he must've fallen asleep in the midst of doing something.

She took her chances, and opened it ever so slightly. She opened wider, to be exposed to an empty wrinkled bed. _Where was he? Is he here? Is he gone?_

She began to walk to his balcony only to be greeted with another strike of thunder that absolutely scared the lights out of her. She clenched fists near her face, closed her eyes and shrieked as she heard the next two feel like they were tearing her in half… But still…

"Finally, you woke up." she heard. Kagome opened her eyes, and boldly turned around, startled by the one person she couldn't stand… but in this exact moment, she was ever so glad to see him.

"Master…" Kagome sighed. He just got out of the shower, smelling brand new, with a gray wife beater, and a towel around his neck, boxers to finish the bedtime look much more swiftly. This encounter was so much different from any other one she's had with him.

There was a pause. She caught him completely off guard. _How dare she barge into my room like this. Without permission or order, nonetheless. _

_The nerve._

He stuck his chin up in confidence and spoke. "I'm very disappointed in your actions tonight and just wait until I speak to my father about tonight you wish you never-"

Kagome dashed towards him, and embraced him around his chiseled and smooth waist, without a fear or care in the world… The taiyoukai paused and blinked only once, as he was taken back, looking at the this insolent maid… Arms wide and startled, he didn't know what to make of this.

"Thank you..."

Kagome noticed her action immediately, and quickly let herself free, the humidity from the shower stuck in her skin like a tattooed memory… She stared at him with concern now, unlike anything she's ever felt before. She felt like a blank slate. She didn't feel. She didn't know.

She didn't care.

She started right into the core of his being. He now hated her eyes more than hell itself. He watched as she trembled in timidness, her fingers twining as she tried to bring words out of her mouth. Her dress was a chaotic mess, and her hair? Well, right along with it.

"I know it was you who saved me from… from-"

"You don't have to say his name…" Sesshoumaru interrupted "I already know…" Kagome looked at the ground in fear, her usual confidence somewhat gone tonight for some reason.

"Maid… what did I tell you about your-"

"I really can't right now, sir" Kagome stated, "I went through something horrible tonight, and I'm sorry if I'm not living to your so-called expectations." Kagome stared at him with a hint of frustration. She swallowed what little bravery she had left, fisted her hands in front of her and stared at him. "I just came here to thank you… for saving my life…I really appreciate it…"

Kagome tonight never felt so alone, and for some odd reason, she just wanted to be with him. Her mind was so fragile and sensitive right now… all she wanted was someone special… to make her feel like her again…

Sesshomaru was shocked, for the first time, not knowing what to do about this situation...

_"Sesshy… Say "you're welcome", and speak your mind… You know you want to just grab her and kiss her! The messy hair looks good on her, right…?" _

_"Not now,"_ he said in his head, _"this girl is so going to pay…"_

"Don't think I did this out of concern for you," Sesshomaru stated to the maid, "if I didn't follow you, my father would've strangled me for letting you go missing… It would've looked bad on our family… Last thing we want around the news is a maid missing from out mansion…"

Kagome looked down and sighed, knowing inside that her 'thank you' meant absolutely nothing to this unflattered dog demon.

_What a waste of energy and respect._

"I see," was all she could say. "I understand…" Kagome bowed down as excuse to leave and return to her room. "I shall leave now. Rest well…"

_"Ooooh! Sesshoumaru! Say something nice to her NOW!" _

His conscience was a persister little fucker.

_"Or you will lose her forever, okay?"_

Sesshoumaru stared at her walking slowly and tiredly to the door. She looked so exhausted. So empty. So drained.

What was he doing?

_"This situation is NOT her fault. She doesn't have to pay for it ,Sesshoumaru… Tonight is a night where things need to change."_

_"I don't want to. This is ridiculous. Leave me be!" _

_"No, not this time! You're scared of giving into her! Kikyou did the same to you a long time ago, I knw. But that's the past!"_

And so he mentioned her again.

That Fucking bastard.

"_That's why you don't want to jump in! Listen! She's not Kikyou! She's the complete opposite! I trust Kagome. So just do it!" _

He growled quietly to himself, his fingers rubbing the arch between his eyebrows.

_"No! She needs to go now! She's strong enough to handle her own! She has no choice! I'm not here to take care of her. It's a dog-eat-dog world!" _

_"Please, no! Not this time, Sesshoumaru. She needs someone desperately. How dare you say that to her after she's been almost raped and Kami knows, even KILLED? You know she needed you then, and whether she thinks it or not, she needs you too. I can feel it! Deep within me! I truly can, I swear!"_

_"I'm not going to do anything… I will only be disappointing father! This girl is going to drive me to the verge of insanity! She needs to leave now. She's caused me nothing but misery!" _

_"SHE'S NOT KIKYOU! YOU NEED TO GET OVER THAT! SHE NEVER HAS BEEN, AND NEVER WILL BE!" _

_"Gah! Leave me alone! I'll do whatever I feel is right! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!"_

_"Sesshoumaru! I AM you! You need to let go of that pain. Just because you're suffering doesn't mean SHE has to… Let it go! It's time to start fresh!" _

Sesshoumaru was sweating now, beads tripping down his cheeks, his eyes shaking for the first time since Kami knows when…

Frustration.

Pure and utter frustration.

_"And hey.. what you do mean 'right'? Right for you or right for her? Stop this madness. This is why you're going nowhere! This is not what your father wanted for you! Being in denial will only destroy you! You need to work towards something in life! Just take a leap of faith! Sesshy, you know as well as I, that THIS NEEDS TO END TONIGHT!" _

Sesshoumaru clenched his fist, twisting his head with debatable thoughts, this inner battle wagering in his head, knowing who is winning, but only extending the finish line farther and farther, to avoid what he knew was meant to happen…

Kagome reached the door to close it and leave…

How cold could he be? Did he really just say that? Heh. Why was she acting as if this was new for her? She knew what kind of person he was. Of course he only did it to not cause trouble in the family. Of course he didn't care about her. Shit.

_Typical master Sesshoumaru._

She was just so tired… of the same crap, of the same disappointment, the same misery…

_This dark cycle of metal mutilation. _

Just go to bed. Tomorrow she has to work, anyway. She's exhausted, but she has to make that money for her dear family back in Tokyo. She just had to. She had no real choice.

_There was no other way…_

But before she could take another step… She felt shivers up her spine… She sensed an unusual hot air, streaming on her neck. She saw silver locks encircling her own ebony hair, falling down her own shoulders. She sensed that grasp that felt like a touch of a feather nonetheless, those arms swinging across her chest to a halt. She swallowed as she felt his forehead rest on her shoulder.

He dropped his towel to the ground, damp and heavy and annoying, a light thud echoing the room.

She can't believe it._ Was this real?_

He couldn't believe it either. _This madness. This is for real. _

He finally submitted…

"Don't go." he spoke softly. Kagome's eyes shook, as they stared straight into nothing. Her master was behind her, she felt his warm sigh across her spine. She shivered with an ambiguous relief.

"I apologize..." he confessed. "Please don't hate me…" Kagome swallowed as her throat dried up. She didn't know what to say. "I know you do. I understand that much. I'm not stupid."

Kagome couldn't smart-ass her way out of this one…

_"Damnit, Kagome. See what happens when you're a bitch? You broke down your master." _

_"Good. It's about time he said something honest!"_ she told her other half.

_"Just say something real… Don't be a bitch! This is not the time!"_

Kagome sighed again, now she fighting her own mental battle in her head.

"It's fine. I understand you're risking your family's image. I get it." Sesshoumaru stood still, his arms still around her. "You don't have to baby me and do anything to feel bad for me. I get it. I'm your maid. You're my master. That's the terms you stated, and I shall abide by them."

"Stop it." He twisted her around and pinned her to the wall next to the door, his broad hands gripping her shoulders. Kagome didn't want to look at him. She could feel his stare.

"Please look at me." Kagome shook her head no, hand clenched harder than before.

"Please." he insisted, "I really need to see you this time…" Kagome sighed again, deeper than ever. "Please…"

She bit her lip, the battle in her brain ensuing deeper and deeper than before. She looked at his eyes now… and this time… it was as if it's the first time she's ever seen them… She's seen his eyes before, but… nothing like this.

Not even close…

"Okay." she whispered, "I'm looking at you now…what do you want from me?" Sesshoumaru just stared at her, didn't want to say anything.

"You remind me of a girl, that I once knew…" Sesshoumaru whispered, "I see her face whenever I look at you, whenever I feel you near me… And I took out my anger on you…" Kagome stared puzzled, eyes focused and mouth stern, waiting for more from her master. "And you don't deserve that... You also don't deserve what happened to you tonight..."

"No one does…"

Kagome relaxed, her nerves freed from strain. Such freedom felt so wonderful.

"I... I don't know what to say." Kagome finally let out softly.

"Just accept my apology. That is all." His eyes stared at hers, begging for an answer to his plea. Kagome looked to her shoulder, pulling her dress strap noticing he was touching her bare shoulders.

"Sure" she shined softly, "that's fine..."

Sesshoumaru looked at her. He didn't know how to end things... This mood they set was unreal. He had to stop this. Things were getting too personal for his own comfort. He let her go softly. Kagome looked at him still, not knowing how to take the situation. He went to the door and touched the door knob. His other hand pointed to escort her out the room.

"All that's enough for tonight. You're dismissed. Leave my room. I'm exhausted..."

And so she is officially clocked in again to work.

"As you wish..." She began walking to the door again and looking forward to seeing her pillow and bed again. What long night this has been. Back to the same ol' ways, I guess...

"By the way," Sesshoumaru stated. Kagome stopped and turned to him puzzled, waiting for him to say something.

"I will not be here tomorrow. I have a conference meeting to attend." he said, "I will be back the next morning. I expect this room to be clean... as well as yourself. A bath would do you some good." Kagome stared at herself in shame, knowing he was right.

"What you do with that time I'm gone is of no concern of mine. Just as long as this room pristine and immaculate. Nothing but the best... You understand what I mean right?" Kagome scoffed as she got the message he was trying to convey.

"Of course."

"Good. Now get out. You're starting to reek. Good night."

With that, he closed the door and slowly Kagome could see the light dimming to darkness.

Kagome was just beyond exhausted, physically and mentally, to even decipher, what the heck just happened right now... Her master apologizing. And what, now roosters lay eggs?

Seriously.

She can't wait to leave this mansion.

Good night, world.


	14. Chapter 14: Even Better News

_Author's Note:_

_HELLO, MY FAITHFUL READERS. I AM BACK WITH AMAZING UPDATES AND AMAZING NEWS._

_I have uploaded not only one chapter, but __**two**__ chapters. Since it has been a while, it's the least that I could do for making you wait. More will be coming soon, so make sure you keep an eye out for updates._

_Also, I want to give a big, big, warm, thank you to __**all**__ my readers that have followed me, favorited me as an author, or ever favorited my story. I am overjoyed, honored, and so thrilled that you enjoy reading "The Maid" as much as I enjoy writing it. You are the reason I keep coming back to this story and continuing it, through all the chaos, drama, and stress that I live as I undergo college graduation, moving to a new place, finding a new job, and being a good girlfriend. This story makes the stress more tolerable, and I thank you for pushing me to be the best writer I can be..._

_Please know that I do not own these characters or anything related to Inuyasha; those rights belong to Kumiko Takahashi._

_Read the story and review, and any comments about the story are greatly appreciated. Lord knows I need feedback after so long._

_Enjoy, my darlings! ~ Ruu-chan_

* * *

CHAPTER 14: THE MAID

* * *

We now head to Kikyou Shikigami's place, her Renaissance styled bedroom furniture outstandingly showing off the riches her family has left over after a tragic death in an automobile accident claimed years ago.

As her feather-stuffed pillows comfortably drifted kikyou in a deep sleep, she suddenly awakened as she was caressed sweetly in her arm, and a kiss was placed on her temple. She giggled as she turned around and smiled at the man laying next to her.

"Why if it isn't my brave and cunning Clyde finally home from a good day's work..."

She turned on the light on her night stand and saw her lover grinning after a successful night of amazing heroics and deceit.

"You're awfully late," she leaned and kissed him on his lips finally.

"Oh, Houjou, how I missed you, my love…"

"Not as much as I've missed you, Kikyou my sweet plum…" Houjou leaned in as he squeezed her butt cheek with pride.

"How did tonight go? Did you succeed in impregnating that low-life slave?"

Houjou chuckled and sighed.

"I didn't get to do anything to her, just drug her." KIkyou flashed her bedsheets off of her in anger.

"What?! That pill I gave her should've done the trick! She was practically in her verge of death! You better be lying to me or else I-"

"Shh, shh… hush, my puppy…" Houjou urged as placing a finger on her angered lips.

"I got even better news…. That taiyoukai you want to marry? That Sesshoumaru fellow?…" Kikyou gasped in joy, knowing full well where he was going with this.

"Don't tell me… He was there."

Houjou nodded slyly.

"And he even put up a fight, that crazy fucker. I was shocked! He tried putting this front like he was being selfish, but you know dogs are always sincere in their emotions… It was hilarious."

"Hahaaaaa!" KIkyou gasped as she laughed out loud whole-heartedly, "He followed you?! I can't believe it. The nerve he has!" Kikyou got up and started pacing the room, sinking in the truth of Houjou's story, with excitement and utter disbelief.

"He cares about her, that STUPID dog really CARES for that whore. Ha… Oh my Kami, this is better than we have EVER planned it out to be!"

"I told you I had better news. This plan might even work better than anything we could've ever hoped for!" Houjou lay in bed shirtless, looking at Kikyou so excited made him feel even more victorious.

"Think of how scandalous this will be, a kidnapping, and a side dish of underage rape and explicit drug dosage! Ha! Wow, this is amazing… You did leave the evidence on the scene, right?" Houjou nodded.

"Yes, and I even left the cameras rolling. And with a little bit of tweaking here and there, we will have a scandal very soon, my dear…"

Kikyou came back to the bed and embraced her lover around his neck. She smiled.

"And Sesshoumaru will soon be begging for mercy at my door… To change things, to prove his innocence, knowing full well I am the only one who can save him from all these troubles. Oh, I am just so excited! I can already picture his face!" They both laughed out loud, just dying to see the outcome of their hard efforts to finally start showing.

"Why would you want me to impregnate her, other than to benefit my fantasy of screwing her?" KIkyou hit him lightly on his cheek.

"Why screw her when you have me right here? I'm much more beautiful, much more successful and intelligent than her, being that I work for the city county police as an investigator, closing cases instead of underwear drawers. Really? Sesshoumaru is weakling just like his father…"

"And still you insist on marrying him instead of me…" Houjou said. Kikyou stared him straight in his eyes, cupping his chin and sighed.

"My dear Houjou, you know you are my number one man, the only one I truly desire anything with, but imagine us both together, living off the money of one of the richest figures in Japan? Imagine the possibilities. The world would be at our fingertips…"

Houjou sank back at his pillow looking up and imagining this abundant and perfect life.

"A gorgeous beach house in Dubai would sound nice around summer time…"

Kikyou chuckled at his dreams. "Or a penthouse suite in Los Angeles…"

"No, too much traffic over there." Houjou insisted, "I want seclusion, where no one would find us. I want to be as far away as possible from this crap hole."

"Well, we can always go live in an island in Bali, and have our own maids to bother." Kikyou smiled.

"Ha, that sounds perfect" Houjou exclaimed. Kikyou laid on his chest and twirled her finger on his chest.

"Houjou, do you think that maid girl looks like me?" Houjou looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why would you ask that, babe?"

"Well, the girls at the party tonight said that she looks an awful lot like me, and, of course, I snapped at the fact that they compared me to someone who is so low in the food chain. Eck!"

"Well, I'll be honest, you both have facial similarities… Hair, eyes, nose, but it's not like you're identical…" Kikyou smirked quietly, her eyes pensive and thoughtful. Houjou noticed this and knew something was surfacing in her mind.

"Why do you ask. I see that look on your face… What are you thinking, my darling?"

Kikyou smiled and fixated boldly to this.

"I have a plan that will change everything. Absolutely everything." Houjou kissed her forehead and sighed.

Kikyou walked over to the light, and said to him, "this summer will be one to never forget, my love. Confusion, drama, deceit, and by the end, we will be on top. Mark my words, darling of mine…"

Houjou grinned slyly "I know, baby… But tonight… how about you come over here, and reward me for all my hard work… with some good well-deserved fuckin'…" Kikyou touched his belt, and unbuckled it with just one hand.

"Oh, you know it… Just you wait."

And in the flick of a light, a passionate night between two lovers commenced, as Step One of their evil plan was about to unfold.

Very, very soon.

* * *

Author's Note:

I'm sure you guys didn't see this one coming, eh? Read and review!


	15. Chapter 15: The Good Samaritan

_Author's Note:_

_This chapter is quite long compared to my other ones, but you will understand why once you read it. Keep attention to details! You might need them!_

_Please enjoy!_

* * *

THE MAID: CHAPTER 15

Kagome woke up finally, a night that was unforgettable and yet mind-blowing all at once. She couldn't believe how crazy things got last night. But boy, was she ever thankful. She woke up and noticed her pajamas were on already.

She laughed at herself and remembered of what this meant: she was acting a fool in her sleep again. Her mother and brother said that ever since she was little, she would walk around the house, eat a snack at 4 in the morning, move to the same bed with Souta, and yes, even change clothes.

It was so weird...

_I guess last night was one of those nights, huh? Man, I will never understand myself…_

She sighed with a smile and got ready for today, but for some reason, she woke up, and heard so many voices and sounds downstairs. She opened the door with uniform and all, and head downstairs to the main lobby.

Sango, Nazuna, Tsubaki all screamed out her name and embraced her with joy. Nazuna was crying and could hardly speak when she saw her. Kagome was bewildered and excited to see them, but was just curious as to know what was going on. Everyone seemed to be in disarray.

"Oh my Kami, Kagome! I'm so glad you're okay! I can't believe what he did to you! How dare he!" Sango said to her. Kagome was in shock. She looked at them, and pushed herself away, just wondering… what they were talking about.

Did they know? How was that possible? Did Houjou come out and confess?

_My goodness, what is going on?_

"You… know what happened?" Kagome asked in shock. The girls looked at each other confusedly and nodded back at her.

"Of course we know what the creep did to you!" Kagome turned and saw the boys come in, looking as if they were ready to kick some major butt. Shippou hugged Kagome and was ever so glad to see her.

"Kagome, I'm so happy to see he didn't hurt you or even worse kill you!"

"Guys, I'm so embarrassed…" Kagome started shaking and was in the verge of tears, but Shippou grabbed her hands and said, "Kagome, it's going to be okay. It's all over the news now! That creep will never lay a finger on you ever again!"

"Yeah," Hiten added, "that master of yours is a disgusting pervert!" Kagome looked up and Hiten at once, more shock ensuing her mind.

"What do you mean, my master?" Kagome insisted, "Master Sesshoumaru? He didn't do anything wrong! Oh my, Kami! No way! I swear! He didn't!"

"Come on, Kagome! You're delusional! How can you say that?!" said Misou with concern. "He took you downtown and tried to rape you!"

Kagome's eyes shook, wondering if she has just walked into a nightmare. This couldn't be happening.

No. Fucking. Way.

"Guys, no. You have it all wrong! This isn't what you think! Master Sesshoumaru is innocent!"

"Kagome! It's ALL over the news," Sango rebutted, "they found evidence on your dress! It was all over the place!" Kagome's head shook slowly…

This couldn't be happening. This isn't real life. No way.

Koharu came and said "They found the pills and your lip prints on the water cup, and even found your dress!"

"With his SEMEN, ALL OVER IT!" Nazuna added behind her. Everyone was more in shock that Nazuna would even dare say "semen" out loud in front of ANYONE, but they knew this situation was serious.

Kagome's eyes squinted in denial.

There was police everywhere, taking pictures of the mansion. She saw police officers with bags of evidence, all from what it seemed to belong to Master Sesshoumaru! His tank tops, the suit he had on last night, even his sketchbooks and towel he used to wash up last night!

"Guys, no! I had my dress on me when I got home! I was wearing the entire night! I swear, come with me, I can show you!" Kagome ran upstairs and some followed, and Kagome went into her closet, only to be in even more shock than before.

The dress?

It was gone.

Nowhere in sight...

Kagome started panting looking inside her drawers frantically, clothes flailing in the air like fireworks, and hangers clinging as she moved them to look and look for that goddamn dress.

But Kagome stood there, and was unsuccessful.

What. The. Fuck.

"Guys, I swear. I was wearing my dress last night. Someone is messing with all of us."

"Kagome, please, you were drugged. It's normal if you don't remember details!"

Kagome was hearing her friends reason with her, but why would you reason with someone who is telling the truth? Kagome knew perfectly well what happened, and she was _not _giving up. Someone else is in on this, and she was going to find out who is making this house turn into a mad house.

"This is a set-up guys. Someone is planning something, I can feel it." Kagome stated boldly as she headed down the stairs. She looked outside and saw Mr. Inutaisho and Miss Kumiko talking to police officers. Of course, Mr. Inutaisho was irked and unpleased with the situation. They both saw Kagome coming out and Miss Kumiko ran over to her and embraced her.

"Deary, are you all right? My goodness, I can't believe this happened to you. I feel so guilty!" Miss Kumiko shed a tear and had her hands on Kagome's arms. "We will get to the bottom of this."

"But Master Sesshoumaru didn't do anything. If anything, he saved my life!" Miss Kumiko stared hard at Kagome. Very hard.

"Child, you are ill. Let's go inside."

"NO! I swear, MY MASTER IS _NOT _GUILTY!" Kagome snapped immediately, not knowing what came over her. Everyone stopped and stared at the girl. She panted and stared at the officer and Mr. Inutaisho.

"You don't know what you're doing! Master Sesshoumaru didn't hurt me at all! I swear, I am telling the truth!" Miss Kumiko grabbed her hand before she spoke anymore.

"Dear, come with me." Kagome looked at her confusedly.

Arriving at the living room, the television was on already and the news blared in the background, as her mouth opened at what she was hearing.

**_"This early morning, authorities received an anonymous phone call from Downtown Kyoto, claiming to have heard and altercation between 23-year-old millionaire Sesshoumaru Takahashi and a 19-year-old Good Samaritan Houjou Akitoki."_**

Kagome sat down with eyes fixed on the television, as everyone gathered around for potential support.

**_"This morning, Mr. Takahashi was arrested at his mansion, on charges of statutory rape and illegal drug use on a minor. Houjou Akitoki was said to have tried to save the young lady, but said that Mr. Sesshoumaru twisted his right arm, and fled the scene with the unconscious girl, who is rumored to be his maid!"_**

The crew turned to see Kagome with her hands clasped in her lips, trying to hold the tears of anger and frustration.

"How could this be? This is not true!…" Kagome whispered in her breath.

**_"Evidence has been found on the scene, with the dress she was wearing from the Annual Takahashi Ball, as well as videotape of the rape occurring! The Takahashi Family is yet to have stated anything. The young girl seemed to be in stable conditions, and we will let you know further in the day the development of this brutal and astonishing case, dubbed already the "The Kyoto Maid Scandal". Back to you, Ryoshi."_**

Miss Kumiko turned off the television as she looked at Kagome, straight into her eyes, trying her best to be firm and at once consoling.

"See, Kagome? The evidence is there. They have a witness, even. Are you still going to claim his innocence?" Kagome heard Sango talk to her softly, but Kagome didn't budge. She stood up and sighed with eyes shut.

"I need to be excused…" And with that she left outside. She went towards Mr. Inutaisho and the police officer and she was firmer than ever on her side of the story.

She didn't know why she was so driven and determined, but she knew that something wasn't right, and she had to prove it everyone.

She just had to do this.

"Master Inutaisho, I need to speak with you for a minute, please." Both men stared at her as she came and interrupted their conversation.

"Ma'am, we are talking with the father of the suspect and need this to be as private as possible."

"Why can't you talk to me? I'm the one who's the victim, aren't I?" They both stared at each other and then back at her, shocked at her confidence.

"I know what happened! Please, my master is innocent! He did nothing wrong!"

"Ma'am, I know you are the victim and all, but I still need to speak to Master Inutaisho so we can figure out the truth."

"I KNOW the truth, officer! Someone must have tricked you all into this! Master Sesshoumaru didn't do anything! This good Samaritan you guys claim to have wanted to save me? He's the one who you should be looking for! Not my master! I swear!" Kagome was now desperate, as she felt that her words were falling on deaf ears. She could see in Mister Inutaisho's eyes that he knew something, but the officer still insisted even more on their privacy.

"Ma'am, we will figure this out as soon as possib-"

"MASTER SESSHOUMARU DIDN'T RAPE ME, IT WAS HOUJOU!"

Her voice echoed all over, the young maid was now done, so much effort for nothing. She never was a confrontational person to begin with, so this was a big deal for her. Kagome sniffed and covered her face with fists.

She was done. This was too much to bear. Being ignored is the worse thing in the universe.

She felt like a joke.

Kaede and Miss Kumiko came and grabbed the now sobbing girl, and led her over to the mansion.

"I apologize immensely, officer. Please. Resume your conversation." The officer nodded but Mister Inutaisho stared at the maid, sighed with a disappointed smirk and continued with him.

"Deary, you mustn't do that again! Doing this is in vain, Kagome!" Kaede stated softly. "You must calm down at once, my dear."

Kagome sat down with them and felt so drained. She didn't know what came over her, but she swung her arms around Miss Kumiko, and just cried.

Zero cares were given at that moment.

"Miss Kumiko, you must believed me, please…" she cried, "Houjou did it, not Master Sesshoumaru, Houjou was my ex-boyfriend and he was horrible to me. He drugged me in my room and kidnapped me. It was Master Sesshoumaru that followed him and took me away to my room. If anything he saved me…" Kagome sniffed and covered her face with shaking hands. Miss Kumiko let go of the embrace and faced Kagome as the young girl cleaned her tears. She dismissed the other maids, as they left the door with terror in their eyes, wondering what was to become of their dear friend…

"Kagome, sweety," Kaede stated, "I feel in my heart you are telling the truth, because even though Sesshoumaru is a cold character at times, one thing he does have is integrity." Kagome looked at Kaede with her eyes swollen from crying. Miss Kumiko was as firm and tall as ever as Kaede spoke.

"We know he would never, and I mean _never _hurt another woman. His father taught him that much…" Kagome sighed as she took deep breaths. Miss Kumiko stood up.

"We know something is going on, something against him. Inutaisho and I are well aware of this." Kagome stared at her standing mistress.

"That is why we didn't want you to say anymore. Inutaisho and I know you're both innocent, but the thing is… the evidence against Sesshoumaru is very solid, and though it is false, it's believable and very well planned out.

"But… who would do such a thing?" Kagome asked softly.

"Kagome, we are one of the wealthiest families in Japan," Miss Kumiko stated, "we get complaints and court cases and threats more than electricity bills. For us, it is unfortunately very common in this household. Do you have any idea how many girls have claimed Inuyasha to have groped them and tried to sue him for sexual harassment? Oh my, goodness, it was ridiculous!"

Kaede sighed, "at times, unfortunately, it was truly his fault…"

"But with Sesshoumaru? This is by far the worse we've had. Unbelievable."

"Thank goodness Kikyou is on this case to help us out."

"Kikyou?" Kagome asked, "who's that?"

"That's Kaede's sister. She works with the city police. She's helped us out so much on our cases, so we are quite friendly with her as of now. She's been a great help!"

"So… you guys believe me and know something wrong, but yet won't say anything? I'm so confused."

"Darling, all in time. Since you are a maid under the Law of the City of Kyoto, technically servants' words are of no use and to no avail until the servants' masters grant permission for your words to be taken into account."

"So… Pretty much I'm nothing?"

"To the police, so far, yes. But Inutaisho heard you loud and clear. He is just as concerned as we are. We just want the truth, but you have to trust me and Kaede when we tell you that all will be explained in time. Just not now."

Kagome was so confused and overwhelmed. She just found out she's a nobody in the eyes of society, her master was arrested in charges of things completely absurd, and now her mistress and supervisor are telling her she has to hold in the truth until further notice?

_I should've just stayed in Tokyo and worked as a waitress in that café across the street from the shrine. This is madness. Absolute madness._

"So, what's going to happen to Master Sesshoumaru? Is he… going to jail?" Kagome's eyes shook as she asked the question, sincerity and concern traced all over her face. Kaede and Miss Kumiko were acting kind of odd lately, and now she was even more suspicious.

"I feel like I'm missing something…" Kagome said innocently. Kaede stood up with Miss Kumiko, and they both stared at each other, a stare Kagome felt communicated something important.

_Why are they looking at each other like that? Jeez, this house keeps getting weirder and weirder by the day..._

Miss Kumiko said to Kagome, "the police have left an awful mess with the place, so you can help your fellow teammates with clean up, but you're not to go to Master Sesshoumaru's room until I tell you so."

Just then, an officer knocked once at the open door, came in respectfully and said, "Ma'am, Mister Inutaisho stated that the girl is allowed to speak to authorities, but we have to go to the station for an interview. He said we should do so as soon as possible."

"So soon?" Miss Kumiko asked confusedly, "that's awfully quick." She stared at the little maid and said accorded with the officer's wish.

"Well, sweety. We will get you suitable attire for the next few days to come, because we are in for a long weekend." Kagome blinked once and nodded. She sat down as Kaede went to get clothes for the overwhelmed maid.

Miss Kumiko motioned her to stand up and follow her. By her side, she whispers "we will explain everything later, I promise."

Once the suitcases were made, the three women came out, and were greeted with the leading investigator in the case. She was poised, prepared, and with an energy Kagome couldn't explain. She didn't know whether to be intimidated with her strong demeanor, or the fact that she looked so much like her that it was almost clone-like!

"Miss Shikigami! So nice of you to meet us here. Here is our maid, Kagome Hig-"

"Miss Higurashi, a pleasure to meet you." Kikyou walked straight to Kagome, amongst the chaos around by the police, and Kagome shook her hand almost in disbelief. "I have heard _so_ much about you… You know, being that your case is pretty much national news, and all." Kagome hung her head a little in shame, Kaede grabbing her arm consolingly.

"Oh. Well… it's nice meeting you."

"Likewise. We will do all it takes to make things as comfortable for you and the Takahashi Family as possible, and I am so sorry this has to happen. You must be devastated!"

Kagome looked at her. "I'll be fine, thank you for your concern."

"We appreciate all your help. We know you will do nothing but make us proud, Kikyou." Miss Kumiko excused herself and the two other women and walked towards the limo, ready to head over to the police station downtown. Kikyou chuckled.

_"So that's 'the maid' everyone is making such a big fuss about… No big deal. I'll let this case linger on, and soon as you blink, I will have all the riches to myself. Poor Houjou has no idea how much I'm going to screw him over… Oh, I just love being me…"_

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, my fellow readers! Review and let me know what you all think. I love hearing back and making sure "I still got it" and that I'm doing a good job. It has been a while and can you believe I wrote this story in high school? Pfft! I'm not a soon-to-be college graduate, and this story isn't even CLOSE to finished, but I do have some amazing twists in store for you. I promise I will deliver... _

_Chapter 16 is in the making. Have an amazing day!_


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